The Fox Maidens

Robin Ha, author of Almost American Girl, is one of my favorite graphic novelists. Her 2024 graphic novel, The Fox Maidens, is based on a famous character from Korean mythology, Gumiho. The story takes place 400 years ago in Korea during the reign of the Joseon Dynasty and it was a fun read.

The publisher's summary:

Kai Song dreams of being a warrior. She wants to follow in the footsteps of her beloved father, the commander of the Royal Legion. But while her father believes in Kai and trains her in martial arts, their society isn’t ready for a girl warrior.

Still, Kai is determined. But she is plagued by rumors that she is the granddaughter of Gumiho, the infamous nine-tailed fox demon who was killed by her father years before.

Everything comes crashing down the day Kai learns the deadly secret about her mother’s past. Now she must come to terms with the truth about her identity and take her destiny into her own hands. As Kai desperately searches for a way to escape her fate, she comes to find compassion, and even love, in the most unexpected places.

Set in sixteenth-century Korea and richly infused with Korean folklore, The Fox Maidens is a timeless and powerful story about fighting for your place in the world, even when it seems impossible.

First of all, I cannot be more excited about a comic's illustration than with The Fox Maidens. The color palette is gorgeous. Most of the comic book strips are drawn and colored with cool tones of every color but with a splash of bright colors such as red. It's very appealing.

Concerning the writing, it is fast paced with compelling characters and an action packed plot. Kai is the main character. She is presented as a feminist by her desire to fight alongside the men in her village. She is fearful of marrying and having children and hopes that her parents won't force her into marriage. At the end of the story we see her love for another female character. Kai's mother, Meorhu, is a physically fragile woman with a surprising past as a fox maiden. She hopes that her daughter will be able to escape the same fate. Then there is Gumiho. Gumiho is the deadly fox spirit who destroys the lives of all the others with her magic. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this story but must say that the first half was more exciting. During this part of the story we read about Kai as a human being. Her life in the village depicted the type of life a girl in Joseon Korea would live. In the second half she becomes a fox and here we really see the fantasy aspect of the story. The author’s note at the end explains her inspiration for writing this graphic novel. I found it as fascinating as the story itself.

4 out of 5 stars.

The Last One at the Wedding

The Last One at the Wedding was my choice for the Calendar of Crime Reading Challenge last month. Due to my trip to Japan, I just got around to reading it this week. The book was published on October 8, 2024 and is a suspense novel about a father trying to save his daughter from a life-altering decision that will put everything he loves on the line.

The publisher's summary:

Frank Szatowski is shocked when his daughter, Maggie, calls him for the first time in three years. He was convinced that their estrangement would become permanent. He’s even more surprised when she invites him to her upcoming wedding in New Hampshire. Frank is ecstatic, and determined to finally make things right.

He arrives to find that the wedding is at a private estate—very secluded, very luxurious, very much out of his league. It seems that Maggie failed to mention that she’s marrying Aidan Gardner, the son of a famous tech billionaire. Feeling desperately out of place, Frank focuses on reconnecting with Maggie and getting to know her new family. But it’s difficult: Aidan is withdrawn and evasive; Maggie doesn’t seem to have time for him; and he finds that the locals are disturbingly hostile to the Gardners. Frank needs to know more about this family his daughter is marrying into, but if he pushes too hard, he could lose Maggie forever.

The title insinuates that the person who was the last guest at a wedding was the main character. This is not so. There was a character shown to be the last guest but she was a secondary character. The reason for the title is unclear to me. Perhaps I am missing something. The main characters were Frank and his daughter Maggie. Maggie did not seem realistic to me. All of the scenes that she was in were with her father Frank and she tried to avoid having any conversations with him, all while demanding that they spend time together. While that does not appear to be any different than other father/daughter relationships, Maggie had an aura of the supernatural. I am sure that the author was trying to create some suspense with Maggie's behavior but Maggie's behavior was off.

Frank, on the other hand, was an excitable person. Every time he spoke with Maggie he shared something negative, or someone, that she needed to avoid. Frank's instincts were spot on but his warnings to her were overkill. I can see people whom I know who have this trait and I try to avoid them just as Maggie avoided Frank, who was a realistic character in my mind.

The Gardner family characters all had something to hide. The mystery of the novel is slowly revealed as we read about their activities. Aiden Gardner, the groom, did not seem to want to marry Maggie and we don't know why until the end of the story. He was an odd ball character with much to hide. Aiden's father Errol is your typical billionaire. He also has a lot to hide and initially I thought that his business activities were the crux of the plot. This panned out somewhat but there is so much more about Errol than meets the eye. These two characters were the villains in the novel. Aiden's mother Catherine was also a mysterious character and I expected this mystery to be key to the plot. Once again, I was wrong but the author did a great job with her red herrings concerning the Gardners.

The setting was the Gardner's estate in Osprey Cove. The estate was hidden behind long roads that seem to go nowhere for several miles before you see the entrance. You did not even see the main house until you drove another mile inside the entrance. There was heavy security at the estate which felt odd to me. It was almost like the security that you would expect at a Middle East terrorist facility. All this security added another measure of mystery. After passing all of this security the reader sees the beautiful buildings, rolling green hills and a private lake. You expect to see perfection in the decor of the buildings and there is some of that. However, Frank's room had a lot of spiders. This dissonance created more mystery. 

All in all, this book was a fun read. I still have some questions about the title, Maggie's character and those spiders and I am still thinking about what they could mean. I am rating this  novel 4 out of 5 stars.

The Butcher Game

The Butcher Game was published in September 2024. It's the second book in a new serial killer series featuring Dr. Wren Muller as the main character. I reviewed the first book in the series, The Butcher and the Wren, here. The story has an alternating format where the reader sees the perspectives of both the serial killer and the medical examiner Dr. Wren Muller, a format I love.

The publisher's summary: 

Destruction follows the ruthless serial killer, Jeremy Rose, the Bayou Butcher, as he heads north to evade capture for his horrific crimes. As he seeks safe harbor with a former friend, he remains focused on unfinished business with forensic pathologist Dr. Wren Muller, the only target who’s ever escaped him—twice. But not this time. He’s determined to make Wren suffer, and he’s promised to make her play by his own twisted rules.

Still in shock over the harrowing encounter with her old nemesis, Wren is on forced medical leave in New Orleans, attempting to mend the deep scars of her traumatic past. But with growing evidence that Jeremy is leaving a fresh trail of mutilated victims across Massachusetts, Wren realizes the best way to heal is to renew her pursuit of this vicious killer. She sets her sights on Jeremy, only to discover that she may have walked directly into his trap. As their twisted cat-and-mouse game rachets up to a violent clash of good versus evil, Wren prepares to sacrifice everything to bring Jeremy to justice.

With intense true-to-life details from autopsy technician and Morbid podcast cohost, Alaina Urquhart, The Butcher Game is a gripping addition to the New York Times bestselling Dr. Wren Muller series.

As I mentioned above  the story is told from a dual point of view. Every other chapter alternated between Jeremy and Wren's perspective. This format is what made the book a page turner. I had to keep reading to find out what happened at the end of every chapter. Mentally I was telling myself to keep reading just one more chapter until I finished the book. 

I enjoyed reading Jeremy's backstory, how he came to be a killer. Learning what makes these people tick has always been intriguing for me. For Jeremy, his abusive mother affected him deeply. However, there is a clue that Jeremy may have been born a bad seed because his mother used to tell him from a young age that he became too obsessed with things. Can you be born with an obsessive trait? Does obsession drive serial killers?  Beats me. Wren on the other hand had a lifetime of trauma to process. In many ways she and Jeremy are similar. It was interesting that they grew up in the same community and even enjoyed each other’s company. While Wren is not a killer, she seemed more messed up than Jeremy. Even with all the information on Jeremy's backstory, we are not told how his personality split into making him a killer. We read more about Wren's traumatic past and how it made her what she is today.

Wren is a medical examiner. As such I was expecting to receive clues from the autopsies performed on the victims. There weren't any. All of the forensic information came from the scene of the crime. Basically, this amounted to Jeremy's calling cards. He always removed an organ from his victims and stabbed them in a particular manner. The descriptions were graphic. It would have been nice to read what these calling cards revealed about Jeremy and how the police used, or could have used, this information to find him. The information was not part of the reveal so I believe the author made a mistake in not pursuing this avenue.

All in all the book was a great read. It was a little dark in several places but I found it easy to overlook. 4 out of 5 stars.

Agony in Amethyst

Agony in Amethyst is the 5th book in the Harriet Gordon historical cozy mystery series. The series takes place in Singapore during the 1910s. It was a fantastic finale to the series and was published last month on October 28, 2024.

The publisher's summary:

Harriet Gordon, newly settled in her new role as a teacher at a girls' school in Singapore, faces uncertainty in her budding relationship with Robert Curran, who has just returned from months in Kuala Lumpur. Curran's expected promotion turns sour when the position is given to an old adversary from his Scotland Yard days.

The arrival of the Colonial foreign secretary, Sir Henry Cunningham, revives memories of one of Curran's unresolved cases. The death of a schoolgirl at a lavish ball, hosted by the Governor in honour of the visitor, brings Curran into direct conflict with his new superior officer. When he confides his suspicions to Harriet, she inadvertently betrays his trust, threatening his already shaky career.

With their relationship on the brink of irreparable damage, a second death changes the course of the investigation. Can Harriet and Curran bring justice to a grieving family and emerge from this ordeal with their connection intact?

I loved this novel! The past of the new foreign secretary Sir Henry Cunningham is the basis for the three deaths that occur in the story.  The first death is the murder of sixteen-year-old Amelia Hardcastle while at a ball celebrating the coronation of King George and the arrival of the Cunninghams. Amelia was thrown off of a balcony while wearing a beautiful amethyst colored dress and it was initially thought to be either a suicide or an accident. However, the position of the body doesn't show suicide. Her autopsy shows injuries to her head which happened before she fell.

Sir Henry dies in his sleep a few days later. Again, the position of his body shows he probably was killed and poison becomes the leading reason for his death. The powers that be would like these deaths to be swept under the rug but Curran will not let that happen. Then Lady Cunningham's maid is killed, further intensifying Curran's investigation.

There’s also a secondary plot that involves the search for some jewel thieves that will be fraught with personal danger for Robert Curran which is a given in the series. Curran always gets injured at least once in each book in the series. The personal relationship between Harriet and Curran has been developed over the course of 5 books and reaches new heights in Agony in Amethyst. I don't want to be a spoiler but the author gives us a very satisfactory finish for these characters.

The writing is superb as usual. You have to think hard about the evidence as it is presented and wonder how the clues come together. The perpetrators are not obvious until the end of the book, mainly because there are alot of villains to choose from. Through Curran we get to see a thorough police investigation.  There are several intriguing twists to weigh in determining the whodunnit, which I was unable to figure out. 

I am sad that the author has no plans to continue this series. She made this same statement after book number 3 but we are lucky to have received books 4 and 5. She did not say that we have seen the last of the Harriet and Curran characters though. Perhaps we will see them again in the future. The author has left that possibility open. 

5 out of 5 stars.

Pike Island

Pike Island is a political mystery set in Washington DC and Minnesota. It is about a young rising congressman from Minnesota whose shadowy past threatens to end his career and his future shot at the presidency. It was published on November 1, 2024.

The publisher's summary:  

Andrew Harrison “Harry” Leonard is destined for politics. Getting his start on the Rochester City Council, he quickly rose to become the youngest representative in Congress. Now the up-and-comer from Minnesota is on the brink of something big. If all goes well, he’ll be in perfect position to aim for the presidency.

Then a postcard arrives, blank except for the name on the address: Andy Leonard. Harry hasn’t used that name since high school. Krista Walsh, Harry’s chief of staff, recognizes his old moniker, and when he dodges questions about it, she wonders what he’s trying to hide. She soon discovers the lake pictured on the postcard holds secrets too.

Krista’s investigation into Harry’s past uncovers the truth of what happened one fateful teenage summer. But as disturbing details come to light, how far will Krista go to keep Harry’s career—and her own—headed to the top?

This story is told in an alternating format with one plot dated back 20 years ago and the other in the current time period. I must admit the subplot from 20 years ago was more interesting than the present where Congressman Leonard and his staff set about covering up something he was involved in after high school graduation. Shortly after their high school graduation Harry Leonard and his three best friends went on a weeklong vacation to friend Jake Nelson's family lake house on Cedar Lake. Along with Harry, known as Andy at the time, and Jake were Ryan and Seth. This foursome had no real plans for the week other than drinking, boating and sunning. Their curiosity got the better of them when they decided to sail to Pike Island which had been uninhabited during its entire history.

Jake tells his buddies about an old abandoned mansion on the island that had been built by a wealthy man who died before he could move in. The mystery surrounding the home included lore about furniture being delivered there as well as clothing in the closets. One room had several pairs of children's shoes neatly lined up. However, the owner had never married or had kids. The teens' immaturity and drunkeness sent them to the island but they were stopped by a MN Department of Natural Resources cop who questioned them. Officer Schroeder let them go with a warning not to encroach on the island. However, they did just that and regretted it later.  

It seemed like Andy was the main character in the early plot but I feel that it was Jake. The mystery surrounding the island is revealed by him and he was in control of the vacation because the teens were lodging at his family's home. Also, his character brought us the mystery surrounding the hate mail Andy's Congressional office was receiving. Jake is furious with Andy over what Andy did on that island. Andy's actions are the basis of both subplots and it was a riveting tale that kept me reading the story.

Seth and Ryan don't play much of a role in the plot. Jake, Andy and Andy/Harry's chief of staff Krista are the prominent characters that pushed the story forward. The mystery of what happened on the island is slowly revealed by Krista’s investigation into her boss. She did some internet and library research as well as interviewing the other three teens, now adults. Her reaction to what she discovered is classic Washington. I liked her much more at the end of the book. 

I enjoyed reading this novel and am rating it 4 out of 5 stars. While the mystery was entertaining I don't feel that it is a thriller which it is advertised as being. 

An Age of Winters

An Age of Winters is a historical mystery set in Germany in 1625. The plot concerns the witch trials that occurred in Germany and the execution of those found guilty. It was published yesterday. 

The publisher's summary:

In 1625, the Franconian village of Eisbach has been plagued by disease, famine, heinous crimes, and a merciless winter. Katarin Jaspers is the maidservant to the enigmatic Reverend Zacharias Engel, appointed by Rome to cure the village of suspected diabolism and save every God-fearing soul.

Zacharias soon finds his first witch, and the public burning of a local man could spell the end of misfortune. As a sense of peace settles over the village, Katarin finds herself increasingly infatuated with Zacharias, who is a disruption to her predictable existence and a balm for her cruel past. But peace for Katarin is short-lived. Margaretha Katz—the new midwife—is seen as a rival for the reverend’s attention. Fear and recrimination reach a fever pitch when a great tragedy sets the town fully on edge.

With the walls of winter closing in around Eisbach once again, rumours flourish and villagers turn on each other. Now, no one is safe from the pyre.

The book had an interesting plot but the action was low-key. While many residents of Eisbach were accused and executed for witchcraft, there was no overriding concern to find one person responsible for the several child murders that had occurred. Everyone assumed the devil took their lives because their bodies were mutilated. We read about out one wealthy townsperson after another accused of witchcraft by those who wanted their property. Although there was no search for one villain as you would see in a typical mystery, the story kept me interested and reading even though there was no suspense ending the chapters. The historical part of the book was more prominent than the plot. Even so, I enjoyed the book despite it's dark storyline. 

4 out of 5 stars.

Art Club

Art Club Dare to Create was published on February 6, 2024. The story was inspired by the author’s own childhood and paints a picture of an aspiring young artist on a mission to prove that the arts are worth fighting for. The book was written with 8 - 12 year olds in mind and it is a graphic novel.

The publisher's summary:

Dale Donavan has heard the same lecture over and over again: Art will get you nowhere in life. A kid with a creative streak, Dale wants nothing more than to doodle, play video games, and create comics forever—maybe even as a full-time job one day. But between his grandfather pushing him to focus on his studies and a school with zero interest in funding arts programs, Dale feels like his future has already been decided for him. 

That is, until he comes up with the perfect plan: What if he starts an after-school art club, gathers a team of creative students like himself, and proves all the naysayers—his stubborn vice principal in particular—wrong? This might just work, but if the club isn’t financially successful by the end of the semester, the school with shut them down. This may be Dale’s only chance to show the adults in his life that a career as an artist is not just a dream but a possibility! 

The club doesn't get going until the halfway point in the story. The first half sets up the reason it was created as well as all of the obstacles that were put in the kids' way. The main obstacle is Mr. Ruffins, the school vice principal. He tasked the students with researching and writing a paper on a well paying career they are interested in. He hopes students will pursue math or science. Dale only likes reading comics so he takes a risk in writing his paper on the cartoonist field. This backfires on Dale but he convinces another teacher to sponsor an art club to show Ruffins that it can be profitable. If the club fails, Dale will flunk his class. 

The book teaches that there are many choices a student has to make before pursuing an art career. Dale is interested in becoming a comic book creator who does his own illustrations. Other students in the club like creating video games, drawing and fundraising. Their sponsor, Miss Jen'ae, begins with teaching the club members about different types of art and even takes them on field trips to art shows and comic conventions. Dale ultimately hopes that his school will resume teaching art classes.

Of course, there is a happy ending. Art Club is a fun read and is an ideal reading choice for a youngster interested in art. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Sound of a Thousand Stars

I was immediately drawn into this story from the first chapter. The story is about two young Jewish physicists who work at Los Alamos under Dr. Robert Oppenheimer during WWII. The book has an alternating plot that alternates between the perspectives of our heroine Alice in the 1940s and Haruki in the 1960s. Haruki is an old man who survived the bombing of Hiroshima. Alice is a physicist who is working toward a Ph.d Both plots were entertaining. This novel will be published on October 8, 2024 

The publisher's summary:  

Alice Katz is a young Jewish physicist, one of the only female doctoral students at her university, studying with the famed Dr. Oppenheimer. Her well-to-do family wants her to marry a man of her class and settle down. Instead, Alice answers her country’s call to come to an unnamed city in the desert to work on a government project shrouded in secrecy.

At Los Alamos, Alice meets Caleb Blum, a poor Orthodox Jew who has been assigned to the explosives division. Around them are other young scientists and engineers who have quietly left their university posts to come live in the desert.

No one seems to know exactly what they are working on—what they do know is that it is a race and that they must beat the Nazis in developing an unspeakable weapon. In this atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, and despite their many differences, Alice and Caleb find themselves drawn to one another.

The book was inspired by the author’s grandparents and is her debut novel. I was expecting a story where the main character's Jewish faith was either prominent or a problem for her. After all, the book summary discusses two Jewish characters. However, just about every character working at Los Alamos was Jewish. The faith didn't have much part in the story other than in the character descriptions. The book is basically a historical romance although Alice wasn't the romantic type. Caleb more than made up for her. He could not stop dreaming about Alice all day and night. Caleb felt inferior to her both because of her family's wealth and her physicist work at the ranch. 

The work of the scientists was not developed. I guess that since the work among them was secret that the author did not write much about their experiments into the plot. It's possible that the actual history of the research they were doing is still confidential and that the author did not find anything specific about it in her research for the book. The reader is only allowed to see the parties the scientists attended and whatever they did in their off hours.

I am rating  novel 4 out of 5 stars. Please note that I received an advanced review copy of this book from Librarything's Early Reviewer's Club in exchange for an honest review.

Capture or Kill

Capture or Kill is the 23rd Mitch Rapp spy thriller. The series was begun by Vince Flynn who died approximately ten years ago. I haven't read any of the books published after his death until now. I selected this book for the Calendar of Crime Reading Challenge based on its publication month. Capture or Kill was just published a few days ago on September 3, 2024.

The publisher's summary:  

April 2011: On a remote mountaintop overlooking the remains of the Iranian nuclear weapons program, Azad Ashani witnesses a Quds Force demonstration of a capability meant to upend America’s war in the Middle East. Ashani, director of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security and Irene Kennedy’s former back channel to the Iranian government, recognizes the demonstration’s true significance, and the nation-ending conflict it will provoke. Alone, Ashani stands no chance of preventing this rush to madness. But with the help of one man, he just might.

In Washington, DC, CIA director Irene Kennedy briefs the president that the operational window to kill or capture Osama bin Laden at his recently discovered compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan is rapidly closing. But before he’ll authorize a commando raid on Pakistani soil, the president demands irrefutable proof of bin Laden’s presence. 

Proof he trusts just one man to provide. Preventing a looming war in the Middle East while delivering justice for the nearly 3,000 Americans killed on 9/11 would be a big ask for anyone.

The book had a slow beginning and I struggled to maintain interest. I found myself skipping pages of narrative just to get to some action. For example, after reading 10 pages of narrative Rapp contacted his boss Irene Kennedy. After the hellos we returned to another page or two of narrative before continuing the conversation. By this time I had forgotten who had called who and why. Another reason I found the story to hard to follow was the excessive number of acronyms. Within one of the early chapters we had SUNSPOT, HAVOK, TALON, ICE, PETTY, RTO, SIGINT, HENLEY, YUENGLING, and FAIRBANKS. It was too much for me all at once.

I broke one of my rules to stop reading if I do not become engaged after 50 pages. I made it to page 100 but only because Vince Flynn's name was on the book cover. Flynn was a phenomenal writer and I miss his stories. Since this was a DNF novel there is no rating. Please note that I haven't had a DNF in at least 5 years. 

My Husband’s Affair

Ruth Heald is one of my favorite authors. She recently published a new psychological thriller on April 10, 2024. Her books are always mesmerizing with plenty of suspense so I picked up a copy of it. It did not disappoint and, as the advertising says, it is unputdownable.

The publisher's summary:

I thought I had the perfect marriage. But as our beautiful children sleep soundly in the next room, I stare at the messages between my husband Rob and another woman, their promises to run away together bringing tears to my eyes. My heart stops when I see the latest one: ‘Leave my wife to me. I’ll get rid of her.’

My blood runs cold. I know this woman. I’ve let her into my home, where she’s bounced my rosy-cheeked baby on her knee. She could ruin my life in moments – she knows things about me even Rob doesn’t…

They think they can get rid of me so easily. They think they can just tear apart the perfect life we’ve built. But they've made a mistake underestimating me. He doesn't know I've uncovered his secrets. And now I know just enough to destroy him.

I can play the perfect wife for just a little longer. I’ll do anything to protect my children and my life. And he has no idea just how far I’ll go…

The story was one wild ride. The identity of the mistress was easy to figure out but because earlier books by Heald had many uncertainties, I could not be sure. Heald is known for throwing her readers for a loop. I kept thinking about all the female characters as possible mistresses. I didn't particularly like the main character Jen. She was a stepford wife whose only goal in life was to keep a clean home for her husband and cook his dinners, which was always later than when his kids ate. Jen lived to please him. When she finally got sick of that husband Jen sought revenge. She was more likeable as an angry wife.

Jen has two close friends, Natasha and Amy. One is in love with Jen and the other is in love with Rob. Jen doesn't know any of this until at least page 250 of this 350 page novel. Rob is the perfect villain. He not only cheats on his wife but he doles out money for household expenses only as they are needed. Jen does not have any money of her own but isn't aware of it because he always gives her what she needs. Any other woman would see him as controlling and demand access to bank accounts.

Lots of plot twists kept coming and it was hard to tell how this story was going to end because these relationships were weird. I wasn't sure which character was going to come out in top. I hoped Jen would win in the end but, hey, I'm not going to tell you. Read the book. It's awesome!

5 out of 5 stars.

By Evening's Light

I was lucky to receive a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.  It was published on August 20, 2024 by Bethany House and is an Amish fiction story.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the novel. Treva is the main character. She was raised Mennonite but after her parents died both she and her sisters were taken in by their Amish grandparents. From her grandparents Treva learned about a great-great aunt, Rosene, who suffered under the Nazis. The book alternates chapters between their respective stories. Treva has recently returned to Pennsylvania following a mission in Haiti. While there, Treva broke up with her boyfriend Zeke. Treva had planned to move to Alaska but she missed her expected leave date because her family needed her help. Treva’s quandary is whether she will be able to move to Alaska or whether to stay on the family farm.

I loved that the story was about Amish folks in post WWII Germany. We don’t usually see this topic in Amish fiction. I also loved the contemporary feel of the book and was impressed that Treva had been on a mission. I was not aware that the Amish went on missions. Now that this author on my radar I am planning to read more books written by her.

4 out of 5 stars.

Ash's Cabin

Ash's Cabin is a coming of age graphic novel by Jen Wang. It was published on August 13, 2024 and has been written for young adults in grades 10 through 12. 

The publisher's summary:

Ash has always felt alone. Adults ignore the climate crisis. Other kids Ash’s age are more interested in pop stars and popularity contests than in fighting for change. Even Ash’s family seems to be sleepwalking through life. The only person who ever seemed to get Ash was Grandpa Edwin. Before he died, he used to talk about building a secret cabin deep in the California wilderness. Did he ever build it? What if it’s still there, waiting for him to come back…or for Ash to find it? To Ash, that cabin is starting to feel like the perfect place for a fresh start and an escape from the miserable feeling of alienation that haunts her daily life.  But making the wilds your home isn’t easy. And as much as Ash wants to be alone…can she really be happy alone?  

 

The publisher's website states that this graphic novel tackles the topic of gender identity. I was not aware of this until the ending and I looked up the book. A classmate places her hand on Ash's hand and Ash's face lights up. I feel a little stupid for not picking up on the new masculine name but in my defense let me say the reader doesn't know what Ash's name originally was. In fact, in the first chapter I thought Ash was male. Her desire to learn survival skills didn't cause me to suspect anything either. It just sounded like a great adventure. Her withdrawal from her high school classmates didn't make me suspicious either. Half the kids in school are withdrawn. My only clue that she was gay was that hand.

I would not categorize the book as LGBTQ fiction. It's about Ash's six month long plan to camp in the wilderness and then her execution of the plan. She takes her beloved dog Chase with her and, as an animal lover, I enjoyed their exploits. She was only supposed to be gone two weeks but Ash lasted 42 days in the wilderness. After Chase became injured Ash should have taken him home. She didn't and that upset me some.

All things considered, Ash's Cabin was a fun read. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Secret War of Julia Child

I have always loved Julia Child. I learned how to cook from her TV programs on public television. When I  saw this ARC on Net Galley, I immediately requested it. The book did not disappoint. It was fantastic.  The book will be published next month.

The publisher's summary:  

Before she mastered the art of French cooking in midlife, Julia Child found herself working in the secrets trade in Asia during World War II, a journey that will delight both historical fiction fans and lovers of America's most beloved chef, revealing how the war made her into the icon we know now.

Single, 6 foot 2, and thirty years old, Julia McWilliams took a job working for America's first espionage agency, years before cooking or Paris entered the picture. The Secret War of Julia Child traces Julia's transformation from ambitious Pasadena blue blood to Washington, DC file clerk, to head of General "Wild Bill" Donovan's secret File Registry as part of the Office of Strategic Services.

The wartime journey takes her to the Far East, to Asia's remote frontlines of then-Ceylon, India, and China, where she finds purpose, adventure, self-knowledge – and love with mapmaker Paul Child. The spotlight has rarely shone on this fascinating period of time in the life of ("I'm not a spy") Julia Child, and this lyrical story allows us to explore the unlikely world of a woman in World War II spy station who has no idea of the impact she'll eventually impart.

Before starting my read, I was aware of Julia's WWII work for the OSS. This part of her life was included in a biography, Appetite for Life. I was interested in finding out if this historical fiction account of her life had more information. It didn't. The author stated on her website that she spent months doing research but many details could not be confirmed. If you have never heard of Julia Child that should not affect your enjoyment of the novel. It reads like any good spy novel with some romance thrown in. 

As the grand-daughter of a railroad tycoon, Julia grew up wealthy in Sacramento, CA. When WWII broke out many kids from wealthy families were able to obtain these plush jobs with the OSS. Julia was one of them. She wanted some adventure before marrying and bearing children. She initially traveled to India but was soon sent to nearby Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka. It was here where she met her future husband Paul Child. After a tumultuous six months, Julia was reassigned to China where she worked under Louis Mountbatten. You can't make this stuff up! While not hired to be a spy, it was soon evident to her bosses that she had talents and she managed to ferret out a double spy. While in China Julia found that two compatriots were double spies also. One was executed for treason and the other spent the rest of her life in prison. It is around these facts that the author spun her tale. The story ends with the conclusion of the war in Japan when she and Paul become engaged. 

5 out of 5 stars.

Tender

Tender was published on March 12, 2024. It is a psychological thriller in comic format and is the author's debut graphic novel.

The publisher's summary:

Carolanne wanted a perfect wedding, a perfect husband, a perfect family. She carefully performs her own roles (gal pal, bestie, girlfriend, wife, and expectant mother) and manipulates those around her to try and get the results she wants. Her desire to control the uncontrollable ultimately becomes her undoing. When things don't go her way, she exerts dominance over the one thing she does have total control over: her body; until that "betrays" her. After suffering a horrible loss, Carolanne spirals into a literal, all-consuming delusion causing her body to produce symptoms of a hysterical pregnancy ― as a result of her slicing off bits of her own flesh and eating them.

Chicago cartoonist and educator Beth Hetland’s graphic novel debut is a brilliant psychological thriller that tears down the wall of a genre ― body horror ― so often identified with male creators. Heady and visceral, Tender uses horrific tropes to confront women’s societal expectations of self-sacrifice despite those traditional roles often coming at the expense of female sexuality and empowerment.

 

I won't lie. After finishing the book I had to read the summary above in order to figure out what I just read. The story alternates between time periods as you would see with any psychological thriller. However, I was not expecting it and was confused as to what happened in Carolanne's life. A re-read helped me understand.

The horror aspect of the book is from Carolanne's self mutilation. We only have illustrations to know she was doing this to herself. Some of the illustrations were so jarring that I couldn't look at them. It's only apparent that Carolanne was trying to have a perfect life from these drawings and that the pressure she put on herself had to come out somewhere. We read about her striving for the perfect relationship, perfect wedding and perfect motherhood. Unfortunately none of that actually happened.

The ending was unexpected. I am still thinking about it a week after reading the novel and have a sinking feeling in my stomach. The author deserves accolades for writing the usual date, wedding, baby story from the horror genre. It works.

Not recommended for kids. The drawings have nudity and self-mutilation. 5 out of 5 stars.

Red Sky Mourning

Red Sky Mourning is the first book that I have read by Jack Carr. It is the 7th book in his Terminal List series and it was fantastic. The main character, Navy Seal sniper James Reece, races to dismantle a conspiracy that has forced the U. S. to her knees. 

The publisher's summary:

A storm is on the horizon. America’s days are numbered. A Chinese submarine has gone rogue and is navigating towards the continental United States, putting its nuclear missiles within striking distance of the West Coast. A rising Silicon Valley tech mogul with unknown allegiances is at the forefront of a revolution in quantum computing and Artificial Intelligence. A politician controlled by a foreign power is a breath away from the Oval Office.

Three seemingly disconnected events are on a collision course to ignite a power grab unlike anything the world has ever seen. The country’s only hope is a quantum computer that has gone dark, retreating to the deepest levels of the internet, learning at a rate inconceivable at her inception. But during her time in hiding, she has done more than learn. She has become a weapon. She is now positioned to act as either the country’s greatest savior or its worst enemy. She is known as “Alice” and her only connection to the outside world is to a former Navy SEAL sniper named James Reece who has left the violence of his past life behind.

I enjoyed this novel but believe it could have been at least 100 pages shorter than it's 560 pages. There were 100 pages in the first half of the story that centered on Reece's relationships with other characters. I think it was not necessary as it didn't affect the plot much. That said, if I had read the first 6 books in the series I might have a different opinion. The writing was thrilling enough for me to determine that I need to read the entire series.

James Reece is a sympathetic character. He is not as macho as other spy thriller characters which makes him seem more human. Of course, the examples of that human essence are in those 100 pages I complained about earlier. Maybe I just don't know what I am talking about here! The plot concerning China's desire to steal information from the U.S. government could have been taken off the front pages of the newspapers. Their uncaring attitude toward their citizens is on display as they plot and execute a plan to destroy one of their submarines. Again, this is another idea that could have come from the front pages of the media. The author has certainly created suspense from painting a picture of China that is realistic in western minds. 

Red Sky Mourning is a realistic portrait of how a war between the U.S. and China could unfold. The author shows us that a conventional war will never be fought again among the superpowers. Cybercrime is the future. 4 out of 5 stars.

The Sins of our Fathers

The Sins of Our Fathers: Spies of Atlantis is the first novel in the Forbidden Hymns series. It waas published in May 2024. The story takes us to the legendary island of Atlantis when it is at the pinnacle of its glory. I received a free ARC from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review.

The publisher's summary:

Serellia and Dilala, devoted cultists of the goddess of war, navigate a treacherous web of conspiracy and deceit in their quest to thwart a notorious Minoan spy. Follow Barekbaal, a Canaanite merchant, as he strives to carve out a simple existence for himself and his crew, only to find himself ensnared in the machinations of foreign powers and ancient deities.

But amidst the chaos and turmoil, one young man, Marko, struggles to find his place in a world where the sins of the past cast long shadows over the present. As he seeks to honor his mother and follow in the footsteps of his father, Marko finds himself drawn into a destiny that is as mysterious as it is inevitable—a destiny bound by a song that echoes through the ages, known as the Forbidden Hymn.

The story takes place in 1258 BC in Atlantis. Even though Atlantis is a fictional island that was often written about by Plato, it is something that we all seem to know enough about. That said, within the Atlantean territory of Evaemon lays its capital, the port city of Hakon Evae. It is here that plots are formed, there is a feeling of an impending uprising and people are chafing at the confines and choices that were made for them by their predecessors.

It was difficult to learn the terminology. The book is advertised as both fantasy and historical fiction, a genre combination that I have never heard of. I am still wondering whether the combination works. In fact, I am confused. There were too many characters to get to know and too many deities to learn. I got bogged down from the start of the story. While there is an index of characters at the back of the book, it's not something you want to keep referring to when you are reading. 

Fantasy stories are not my forte. Every once in awhile I read fantasy and can usually figure out the action. Sins of the Fathers overwhelmed me with it's extensive world building. I just didn't care for the book.

Shadow of Doubt

Shadow of Doubt is the 23rd Scot Harvath spy thriller from Brad Thor. In this installment of the series the reader sees how the Russian government invests in penetrating other governments in order to gain knowledge and advantage. The book was published on August 6, 2024.

The publisher's summary: 

A mysterious cargo plane, flanked by a squadron of Russia’s most lethal fighters, has just taken off from a remote airbase. Closely monitored by the United States, no one inside the Pentagon has any idea where it’s going or what it’s carrying.

A high-level Russian defector, a walking vault of secrets that could shatter the West, seeks asylum in Norway. Across the continent, in the heart of Paris, a lone French agent stumbles upon a conspiracy so explosive it could ignite a global firestorm.

As alarm bells ring in Washington, the CIA’s most lethal weapon, Scot Harvath, is forced to choose between his conscience and his country.

The story opens with the Estonian Air Defense tracking Russian military planes moving south. Latvian Air Defense confirmed the launch. The Latvians then stated that the planes entered Belarus, which the Lithuanian Air Defense confirmed. Two days later the president of Belarus made a TV statement that he had received missiles and bombs from Russian that were three times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima. After a French intelligence officer is murdered with an axe, we see Harvath being escorted off a plane in Oslo by the Norwegian Police Service. A pulsating plot then begins to unfold.

Shadow of Doubt has two plots. The second one cannot begin until the end of the first. What most readers would recognize as the premier plot concerns gaining control over Russian defector Leonid Grechko, a high ranking person in Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service.  Harvath's fiancé, a Norwegian named Solvi, is in charge of transferring Grechko to the CIA. As such, Solvi plays a huge role in the story. Harvath comes up with a round about way to obtain Grechko in custody by kidnapping his girlfriend from a Russian oligarch. If Grechko can convince his girlfriend to come with him, then Harvath can gain control of Grechko. The guy was seriously in love. 

In order to obtain information about the Russian missiles in Belarus, Harvath has to get to Grechko. We don't read much about these missiles, only that Grechko has agreed to tell all if he can just see his girlfriend one more time. The secondary plot is half of the book. Here, Harvath wants to kill a man who was part of the group that killed his wife. I cannot remember any secondary plot in the series that took up this much writing. 

It is unusual for a Harvath novel to begin with a threat to the West and then not expound on it. That was disappointing to me. However, the book was still suspenseful and had a lot of gun fighting. I expected to read more about those missiles, though.

I am rating the book 4 out of 5 stars. It was riveting but there are some plot issues.

Peach Tea Smash

Peach Tea Smash is another great cozy mystery from Laura Childs. It's the 28th installment of the Indigo Tea Shop Mystery Series and was published on August 6, 2024. Our heroine Theodosia Browning is catering the Mad Hatter Masquerade, a fundraiser hosted by the Friends of the Opera on the grounds of the old Pendleton Grist Mill in Charleston. During the event Harlan Sadler, husband of Cricket Sadler, the chairwoman, is killed. He’s been hit in the head with a croquet mallet, and his body hung on the chains and paddles of the grist mill. Nobody can figure out why anyone would want to kill him since Harlan was beloved by everyone. Ate first the murder seems to a result of the victim’s profession, banking, but there’s a possibility the murderer is someone in his family. Harlan's son Duke is a slum landlord and recently injured a woman in a boating accident. When one of the chief suspects is murdered both Theodora and Detective Tidwell, are clueless.  The tea shop continues to be the staging area for their sleuthing. 

One of the things I love about the Tea Shop Mystery series is that the murder always occurs in the first chapter so that the rest of the book can be about the investigation into the whodunnit.  I also love the specialty tea events that Theo holds in the Indigo Tea Shop. In this story we read about the Regency Tea, Chocolate Tea and Book Lovers Tea. When each tea party is being planned the reader learns about the decorations as well as the foods that were served. We also learn why they were chosen. Recipes are in the back of the book.

Theo's sleuthing was rather aggressive in the story. She broke into a suspect's house, accused another of possibly being a murderer during her "interview" with him and got up on a horse to stop yet another suspect from killing a fourth. When she tells Detective Tidwell about these activities, he isn't angry which is uncharacteristic of him. I liked the arguments between the two of them in earlier novels. Tidwell hasn't played much of a role in the past several books and it's time for him to return. Theo's forwardness is new and while this required a huge suspension of belief, it is good for the series. I was happy, though, that Theo's nightly jogs with her dog were not used to obtain clues. This has been overdone in the series. I applaud the author for changing up the method of obtaining clues as it keeps these stories fresh. 

So how do you make a peach tea smash? With white tea, half a peach and bourbon. 5 out of 5 stars.

A Death in Cornwall

A Death in Cornwall is the 27th installment of the Gabriel Allon spy thriller series but just the 5th to be set in Cornwall. Many years ago he spent time in the region following the murder of his first family. It was here that he met a boy named Timothy Peel. Peel, now grown, now works as a detective sergeant with the Devon and Cornwall Police Department.

The publisher's summary:

Art restorer and legendary spy Gabriel Allon has slipped quietly into London to attend a reception at the Courtauld Gallery celebrating the return of a stolen self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh. But when an old friend from the Devon and Cornwall Police seeks his help with a baffling murder investigation, he finds himself pursuing a powerful and dangerous new adversary.

The victim is Charlotte Blake, a celebrated professor of art history from Oxford who spends her weekends in the same seaside village where Gabriel once lived under an assumed identity. Her murder appears to be the work of a diabolical serial killer who has been terrorizing the Cornish countryside. But there are a number of telltale inconsistencies, including a missing mobile phone. And then there is the mysterious three-letter cypher she left behind on a notepad in her study.

Gabriel soon discovers that Professor Blake was searching for a looted Picasso worth more than a $100 million, and he takes up the chase for the painting as only he can—with six Impressionist canvases forged by his own hand and an unlikely team of operatives that includes a world-famous violinist, a beautiful master thief, and a lethal contract killer turned British spy. The result is a stylish and wildly entertaining mystery that moves at lightning speed from the cliffs of Cornwall to the enchanted island of Corsica and, finally, to a breathtaking climax on the very doorstep of 10 Downing Street.

The plot in A Death in Cornwall is a significant improvement over the 2023 installment of the series. The author, Dan Silva, has now successfully transferred Israeli spy Gabriel Allon's career to working as a full-time art restorer. As such, this plot concerns artistic provenance research (APR). One of the best in the business was Charlotte Blake who was murdered with an axe. The police believe that it was the work of a serial killer known as "the Chopper" but some of them aren't sure. As Gabriel searches for a lost painting that Blake was researching, he uses his spy craft skills to deter the international financial machinations through which the rich use shell companies to hide money. 

I love reading this series. The books are always a quick read with more than the usual twists and turns than you would find in other thrillers. The author certainly knows politics well and always gives the reader something new to think about. However, if you have never read one of these mysteries you probably do not want to start with A Death in Cornwall since it refers to past events. Many of the series characters in past novels are not involved in this novel. Allon's wife Chiara does not have much of a part in this book but that makes me happy. I never liked her character much.

A Death in Cornwall is a fantastic book. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

The Wartime Book Club

I selected The Wartime Book Club for last month's Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge.  It is a historical fiction account that was inspired by true events.  You can read about those events at the end of the book where you will also find study questions and a bibliography concerning the island of Jersey where the setting of the book is located.

The publisher's summary:

The Isle of Jersey was once a warm and neighborly community, but in 1943, German soldiers patrol the cobbled streets, imposing a harsh rule. Nazis have ordered Grace La Mottée, the island's only librarian, to destroy books that threaten the new regime. Instead, she hides the stories away in secret. Along with her headstrong best friend, she wants to fight back. So she forms the Wartime Book Club: a lifeline, offering fearful islanders the joy and escapism of reading. But as the occupation drags on, the women's quiet acts of bravery become more perilous – and more important – than ever before. And when tensions turn to violence, they are forced to face the true, terrible cost of resistance.

 

I LOVED this novel!  I was unable to put it down and read it in one setting. I was hooked from the first chapter. The story was so intriguing that I was interested even though the wartime library did not appear until one third of the way into the story. The two main characters, Bea and Grace, friendship was pretty compelling and how they made decisions became a part of what happened later in the story.  These ladies were complete opposites but best friends and they were able to let each other be who they were and forgive easily any slights that they felt. In this sense, the story is about friendship and loyalty.

I don't enjoy WWII books much but this one was about those left behind from soldiers.  It did not have any military action. The story was about how a community stuck together during the occupation of their island. While there were a few who turned in their neighbors to the Nazis in order to obtain additional food, most of the residents helped each other out as much as they could. Each chapter began with the name of a banned book and why it was banned. The story shows the importance of these banned books to Jersey residents and the reader sees how Grace was able to deliver these books to residents without getting caught by the Nazi occupiers. Grace's heroism is the main theme of the plot. A secondary plot concerns her friend Bea. Bea made many mistakes and did not take care to hide what she was doing. She was impulsive and that got her into more than one fix.

Author Kate Thompson did several years of research into the Channel Islands during WWII. The details in her story are indicative of this. In addition, there are about 100 pages of history, bibliography, and study questions to ponder at the end of the story. I found these details equally as intriguing as the story. Since I love history, I appreciate all of this information.

5 out of 5 stars.