Dressed for Death by Julianna Deering

Dressed for Death by Julianna Deering ISBN-13: 9780764214110 Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Released: March 1, 2016

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Drew and Madeline Farthering celebrate their six-month anniversary by attending a fancy Regency era costume party. Drew is glad to see Talbot Cummins, an Oxford classmate, and his fiancée, Alice Henley, though Alice seems upset about something. At the concluding grand ball, Alice suddenly dies of an overdose of cocaine. Tal refuses to believe she took the stuff intentionally.

Drew is shocked when the police arrest Tal's father and charge him with smuggling drugs into the country for the past twenty years. Reeling from the death of his fiancée and the revelation about his father, Tal begs Drew to find out what's going on. Drew, now questioning his own ability to see people as they really are, does so reluctantly and brings danger to everyone he holds dear.


My Review:
Dressed for Death is a historical mystery set in 1933 in England. It's the fourth book in a series. You don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one, and this novel didn't spoil the previous books. The first third of the book was spent at a Regency era costume party, and the characters quoted Jane Austen throughout the story.

The characters were engaging, had depth, and reacted realistically to events. Most mysteries kill off the unlikable or unknown characters, but it's the young, innocent people who die in this story. It's a sorrow-filled story. Due to their grief, the main characters weren't clear-headed about solving the mystery.

It was a clue-based puzzle. By two-thirds of the way in, I had a good idea of how the smuggling was done and had my whodunit suspects narrowed down to two people. In contrast, Drew and friends were still getting nowhere. They'd stumble upon clues yet wouldn't follow up on odd happenings. This worked okay because of how it was written, but it meant that most of their tracking down the answers happened in the last third of the book.

The characters were Christian, and this was shown in how they treated people. Drew debated whether God really had called him to solve crimes or if that was his own ego talking. There were no sex scenes. There was no bad language. I'd recommend this interesting mystery.


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.

When Falcons Fall by C.S. Harris

When Falcons Fall by C.S. Harris ISBN-13: 9780451471161 Hardcover: 368 pages Publisher: NAL Released: March 1, 2016

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
Ayleswick-on-Teme, 1813. Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, has come to this seemingly peaceful Shropshire village to honor a slain friend and on a quest to learn more about his own ancestry. But when the body of a lovely widow is found on the banks of the River Teme with a bottle of laudanum at her side, the village's inexperienced new magistrate turns to St. Cyr for help.

Sebastian agrees that Emma Chance did not take her own life. Less easy to discern is exactly how she died, and why. Emma was hiding her identity and reasons for traveling to Ayleswick. Sebastian's investigation takes on new urgency when he discovers that Emma was not the first beautiful young woman in the village to die under suspicious circumstances. Sebastian and Hero slowly uncover secrets that have festered among the villagers for decades.


My Review:
When Falcons Fall is a historical mystery set in 1813 in England. This is the eleventh book in a series. You don't need to read the previous novels to follow this one, and this book did not spoil any whodunits of the previous novels.

The author vividly described the setting and wove in historical details relating to politics and everyday life. The characters were interesting, varied, and acted realistically. Sebastian and Hero were observant and asked good questions. The mystery was complex and involved events going back for years as well as current events. It took a while for enough clues to pile up to have a chance at guessing whodunit correctly, and even then I didn't guess correctly. Whodunit made sense, though; it was simply that I'd made an incorrect assumption.

Sex occurred and past rape and adultery was referred to, but there were no play-by-play sex-related scenes. There was some bad language. Overall, I greatly enjoyed this well-written novel and would recommend it.


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.

Time of Fog and Fire by Rhys Bowen

Time of Fog and Fire by Rhys Bowen ISBN-13: 9781250052049 Hardcover: 320 pages Publisher: Minotaur Books Released: June 5, 2012

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Molly Murphy Sullivan's husband Daniel, a police captain in turn-of-the-century New York City, is in a precarious position. The new police commissioner wants him off the force. So Daniel accepts an assignment from John Wilkie, head of the secret service. Molly believes her husband is in Washington until she spots him in San Francisco during a movie news segment. Then she receives a strange letter from him which hints that he wants her to join him in San Francisco.

When Molly and her young son Liam arrive in San Francisco, she's told that she's too late. Her husband's funeral was yesterday. She's devastated, but she's not certain that Daniel's death was an accident. She has no idea whom to trust and considers investigating while she waits for his body to be dug up and shipped home. Then the Great Earthquake strikes San Francisco, and a servant runs off in a panic with Molly's son...


My Review:
Time of Fog and Fire is a historical suspense novel set in 1906 in New York City and San Francisco. It's the 16th novel in a series. You don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one. However, it did spoil events from the previous books.

While there were three cases in this story, they weren't the focus of the story. There were no arrests. Justice was not done. It's really more of a historical novel. The story provided detailed descriptions of the time period, from places to technology to politics. For example, several chapters were spent solely describing an uneventful (but stressful to the heroine) train trip from NYC to San Fransisco. If you want to know what train travel was like or live through every excitement of the San Francisco earthquake, then this is a great story. If not, then you'll probably find the pacing slow in some parts.

The suspense was due to potential danger from bad guys and from the earthquake. The heroine was likable, acted realistically, and seemed a product of her times. While she could easily decide what to do in the face of danger, she was often indecisive and torn about what to do in other situations. Not having read the previous novels, I had a hard time envisioning her as a private detective before she married.

There was a minor amount of bad language. There were no sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this novel to fans of historical novels.


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.

Playing the Part by Jen Turano

Playing the Part by Jen Turano ISBN-13: 9780764212772 Trade Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Released: March 1, 2016

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Lucetta Plum is an actress on the rise in New York City, but is forced to abandon her starring role when a fan's interest turns threatening. Lucinda's widowed friend, Abigail Hart, is delighted at the opportunity to meddle in Lucetta's life and promptly whisks her away to her grandson's estate to hide out.

Bram Haverstein may appear to simply be a somewhat eccentric gentleman of means, but a mysterious career and a secret fascination with a certain actress mean there's much more to him than society knows.

Lucetta, who has no interest in Abigail's matchmaking machinations, has the best intentions of remaining cordial but coolly distant to Bram. But when she can't ignore the strange and mysterious things going on in his house, it'll take more than good intentions to keep her from trying to discover who Bram is behind the part he plays.


My Review:
Playing the Part is a romantic comedy set in 1882 in New York and Virgina. It's the third in a series, but this book can be read as a stand alone since each book has different main characters.

The characters were nice people with distinct personalities. The hero and heroine end up in a series of silly situations during which they get to know each other. They get to know the real person, which is different from what they thought they knew about each other. Several characters had broken relationships with family members which were healed throughout the course of the story. The serious stuff gave the characters some depth, development, and realism, but mostly the story was a fun bundle of laughs.

Several of the characters were Christians, and this was shown in how they treated people. There was no sex and no bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this fun, humorous 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.

Jazz Files by Fiona Veitch Smith

Jazz Files by Fiona Veitch Smith ISBN-13: 9781782641759 Trade Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Lion Fiction Released: Nov. 27, 2015

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In 1920, twenty-two year old Poppy Denby moves from Northumberland to live with her paraplegic aunt in London. Aunt Dot, a suffragette who was injured in battles with the police in 1910, is a feisty and well-connected lady.

Poppy has always dreamed of being a journalist, and quickly lands a position as an editorial assistant at the Daily Globe. Then one of the paper's writers, Bert Isaacs, dies suddenly--and messily. Poppy and her attractive co-worker, photographer Daniel Rokeby begin to wonder if it wasn't a natural death, but murder. The Globe's editor invites her to dig deeper. Poppy starts sifting through the dead man's files and unearths a major mystery which takes her to France--and into deadly danger.


My Review:
Jazz Files is a historical mystery set in 1920 in London. The historical focus was on what happened to suffragettes in the 1910s. The historical details about daily life and politics were worked into the flow of the story and didn't slow the pacing. Poppy tracked down clues to what happened in 1913 in hopes of exposing corruption, helping someone, and securing a job as a full-time reporter.

Poppy also investigated whether murder had occurred and whodunit. You could guess whodunit from the clues, but the biggest clues were merely implied until Poppy stated them when she figured it all out. The story contained plenty of suspense since Poppy's life was in constant danger. The corrupt people weren't afraid to kill to keep their secrets.

The characters were interesting. Poppy was naive at times, but she's fairly self-assured and generally a nice, brave woman. Despite being a "Christian" book, it might not appeal to some Christians. Poppy doubted the Christian beliefs she was brought up with, drank alcohol in moderation, had a sexually promiscuous best friend, and lived with a homosexual couple.

There were no sex scenes. There was occasional bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting mystery.


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.

Step by Step by Candace Calvert

Step by Step by Candace Calvert ISBN-13: 9781414390345 Paperback: 400 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers Released: Feb. 1, 2016

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Three years after a tragic accident left her a widow, ER nurse Taylor Cabot is determined to move on, checking off one item after another on her survival list. Her relationship with a handsome plastic surgeon even gives her hope for the last point—“fall in love again.” At least until crisis chaplain Seth Donovan steps back into her life, reawakening unanswered questions about her husband’s death.

While in San Diego to train community volunteers, Seth hopes to learn why Taylor is backing away from the crisis team and from their friendship. But nothing prepares him for the feelings that arise when he sees Taylor again . . . and sees her moving on with another man.

When a community crisis hits home and puts lives at risk, emotions run high and buried truths are unearthed. Will hope make the survival list?


My Review:
Step by Step is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It's the second book in a series, but it has different main characters and functions as a stand-alone novel.

Seth's father died recently, and he struggled between continuing as a crisis chaplain or running his father's stores as his father expected. Taylor dealt with unanswered questions about her husband's death. She desired peace and hoped that taking control of every detail of her life would help her move past her grief.

The story started with a plane crash, ended with a highway car pile-up, and had a number of ER emergencies in between. The main theme was how people deal with grief, and we see crisis chaplains in training and in action. One of the main characters was also being harassed because her ex-boyfriend ran up gambling debts using her money. Yet much of the story was Seth and Taylor realizing how much they have in common as they move toward emotional healing.

The Christian characters showed their faith in how they were willing to help others and forgive wrongs. Taylor also came to realize where true healing and peace come from. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable 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.

Cold Shot by Dani Pettrey

Cold Shot by Dani Pettrey ISBN-13: 9780764211973 Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Bethany House Released: Feb. 2, 2016

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Griffin McCray is a park ranger at Gettysburg, having left life as a SWAT-team sniper when a case went bad. The job is mostly quiet until the day he captures two relic hunters uncovering skeletal remains near Little Round Top. Forensic anthropologist Finley Scott determines that the body is modern--a young social justice lawyer missing since spring.

All evidence points to the work of an expert sniper. When FBI agent Declan Gray takes over the case, past and present collide. Griffin soon realizes he'll need to confront some of the darkest days of his life if he--and those he cares about--are going to escape a downward spiral of murder that crosses continents.


My Review:
Cold Shot is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It's the first book in a new series, and it contains the beginning of the romance that will continue in the next novel. I've enjoyed this author's previous novels, and her writing is only getting better.

The ever-present danger to the main characters kept the suspense high. The heroine (and the whole investigating group) was smart and caught on to various possibilities quickly. I saw where the case was going before they did, but it wasn't obvious and it wasn't surprising that they took a little longer to shift their focus. The characters were complex and dealt with realistic struggles with fear, failure, and forgiveness. I cared about what happened to them.

The characters were Christians, so they prayed to God to help them stay safe, deal with their struggles, etc. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting, 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.

Death on the Riviera by John Bude

Death on the Riviera by John Bude ISBN-13: 9781464205699 Paperback: 250 pages Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press Released: March 1, 2016

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
When a counterfeit currency racket comes to light on the French Riviera, Detective Inspector Meredith is sent speeding southwards out of the London murk to the warmth and glitter of the Mediterranean. Along with Inspector Blampignon an amiable policeman from Nice, Meredith must trace the whereabouts of Chalky Cobbett, crook and forger.

Soon their interest centres on the Villa Paloma, the residence of Nesta Hedderwick, an eccentric Englishwoman, and her bohemian house guests among them her niece, an artist, and a playboy. Before long, it becomes evident that more than one of the occupants of the Villa Paloma has something to hide, and the stage is set for murder.

This classic crime novel from 1952 evokes all the sunlit glamour of life on the Riviera, and combines deft plotting with a dash of humour.


My Review:
Death on the Riviera is a mystery novel that was originally published in 1952. The first two-thirds of the story covered the hunt for the counterfeit currency criminals. Meredith's assistant spots some vital clues while mooning over a girl. The clever detectives put two and two together and work out who and how. Just as they begin the arrests, though, one of the criminals goes missing and appears to have been killed. Another man commits suicide. Some of the evidence doesn't make sense, so the detectives keep digging until they work out what really happened.

While there were clues and you can guess some things from those clues, the detectives tended to keep critical clues to themselves until they were ready to reveal how everything was done. It's a clever puzzle, though, and the characters were interesting and engaging. The romantic subplot added some fun humor.

There was no sex. There was a fair amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this intriguing, enjoyable mystery.


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 Glass Castle by Trisha Priebe, Jerry B. Jenkins

The Glass Castle by Trisha Priebe, Jerry B. Jenkins ISBN-13: 9781634093897 Hardcover: 256 pages Publisher: Shiloh Run Press Released: March 1, 2016

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
The king is ill and growing old, so he's under pressure to marry and produce an heir to the throne. Yet, thirteen years ago, the king’s first wife gave birth to a son, and no one knows for sure what happened to him. For the wife-to-be, the solution is simple: dispose of the thirteen-year-old orphans in the kingdom.

Avery, Kate, Tuck, and Kendrick are among those kidnapped and brought to a hidden part of the castle. Are they prisoners or is this for their safety? Avery snoops around to discover what's going on. They also work to organize the children since they'll certainly die if they're discovered by the wrong adults.


My Review:
The book is primarily Avery's search for answers about what's going on. The normal book description unfortunately spoils most of the mystery.

The Glass Castle is a tween Christian adventure story for girls. It mixed things like canned goods, rifles, and "Jane Eyre" with daggers, castles, and cooking over fires. And I can see tween girls enjoying the story. Avery longs to belong but doesn't feel like she fits in. Plus she gets two marriage proposals from cute boys. There's no sexual overtones to the boy-girl interactions, just marriage proposals (or the intent to get them). Yes, at age thirteen.

As an adult, I just felt stressed when Avery kept doing things that she knew were dangerous, stupid, she might regret, and could get people killed. She lives "on the brink of ruining everything." Most of the danger was created by her own actions, but she suffers so little personally from it that she has no motive to change her approach to life. She's a tornado that the other kids have to run damage control on.

One of the kids acted as a chaplain and held Christian services that Avery attends, plus she reads the Bible. She applied some of what she heard to her decisions. There's no bad language. The book ended in the middle of a scene (though the children are not left in immediate danger).


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.