Showing posts sorted by date for query red queen. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query red queen. Sort by relevance Show all posts

Thursday, April 30, 2026

2026 Edgar Award Winners

On April 28, 2026 the winners of the 80th annual Edgar Awards were announced. The event was hosted by the Mystery Writers of America at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in New York City. I must make a shocking announcement though. I have not read any of the winning or nominated books! Below are the winners:

BEST NOVEL

The Big Empty by Robert Crais 

NOMINEES

Fagin the Thief by Allison Epstein 
The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami 
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
Hard Town by Adam Plantinga 
The Inheritance by Trisha Sakhlecha 
Presumed Guilty by Scott Turow 

BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR 

Dead Money by Jakob Kerr 

NOMINEES

Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch
All the Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman 
Johnny Careless by Kevin Wade 
History Lessons by Zoe B. Wallbrook
 
BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

The Backwater by Vikki Wakefield 

NOMINEES

Listen by Sacha Bronwasser
The Sideways Life of Denny Voss by Holly Kennedy
Broke Road by Matthew Spencer 
One Death at a Time by Abbi Waxman 

BEST FACT CRIME

Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser 

NOMINEES

They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals by Mariah Blake
Blood and the Badge: The Mafia, Two Killer Cops, and a Scandal That Shocked the Nation by Michael Cannell 
Out of the Woods: A Girl, a Killer, and a Lifelong Struggle to Find the Way Home by Gregg Olsen 
Story of a Murder: The Wives, the Mistress, and Dr. Crippen by Hallie Rubenhold 

BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL

Edgar Allan Poe: A Life by Richard Kopley 

NOMINEES

V is for Venom: Agatha Christie’s Chemicals of Death by Kathryn Harkup 
The Kingdom of Cain: Finding God in the Literature of Darkness by Andrew Klavan 
Cooler Than Cool: The Life and Work of Elmore Leonard by C.M. Kushins 
Criss-Cross: The Making of Hitchcock’s Dazzling, Subversive Masterpiece Strangers on a Train by Stephen Rebello 

BEST SHORT STORY

“Julius Katz Draws a Straight Flush,” Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine – September-October 2025 by Dave Zeltserman 

NOMINEES

“Reading at Night,” The Strand Magazine by Graham Greene (The Strand Magazine)
“The One That Got Away,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine – January-February 2025 by Charlaine Harris (Must Read Books Publishing)
“Orphan X: A Mysterious Profile,” by Gregg Hurwitz (The Mysterious Bookshop)
“Lucky Heart,” Blood on the Bayou – Case Closed by Tim Maleeny (Down & Out Books)
“The Kill Clause,” Amazon Original Stories by Lisa Unger (Amazon Publishing)

BEST JUVENILE

Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson 

NOMINEES

Montgomery Bonbon: Murder at the Museum by Alasdair Beckett-King 
What Happened Then by Erin Soderberg Downing 
A Study in Secrets by Debbi Michiko Florence 
The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls by Judith Rossell 
Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave by Ally Russell 

BEST YOUNG ADULT

Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray 

NOMINEES

Catch Your Death by Ravena Guron 
This is Where We Die by Cindy R.X. He
The Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson 
Codebreaker by Jay Martel 

BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY

“Pilot” – Paradise, Written by Dan Fogelman (Hulu)

NOMINEES

“End of the Line” – Ballard, Written by Michael Alaimo & Kendall Sherwood (Amazon/Fabel)
“Episode 101” – The Lowdown, Written by Sterlin Harjo (FX on Hulu)
“These Girls” – Long Bright River, Written by Nikki Toscano & Liz Moore (Peacock)
“Ye’iitsoh (Big Monster)” – Dark Winds, Written by John Wirth & Steven Paul Judd (AMC)

ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD

“How It Happened,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, July-August 2025 by Billie Kay Fern 

NOMINEES 

“A Textbook Example,” Sacramento Noir by Luis Avalos (Akashic Books)
“How It Happened,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, July-August 2025 by Billie Kay Fern (Must Read Books Publishing)
“Baggage,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, January-February 2025 by Rick Marcou (Must Read Books Publishing)
“Bloodsurf,” Hollywood Kills by Tiffany D. Plunkett (Level Best Books – Level Short)
“Grand Theft Auto in the Heart of Screenland,” Hollywood Kills by Robert Rotstein (Level Best Books – Level Short)

THE SIMON & SCHUSTER MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD

All This Could Be Yours by Hank Phillippi Ryan 

NOMINEES

Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill 
Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku 
No Comfort for the Dead by R.P. O’Donnell 
Last Dance Before Dawn by Katharine Schellman 

THE G.P. PUTNAM’S SONS SUE GRAFTON MEMORIAL AWARD

Gone in the Night by Joanna Schaffhausen 

NOMINEES

Cold as Hell by Kelley Armstrong 
Rage: A Novel by Linda Castillo 
Fallen Star by Lee Goldberg 
The Red Letter by Daniel G. Miller 

THE LILLIAN JACKSON BRAUN MEMORIAL AWARD

A Senior Citizen’s Guide to Life on the Run by Gwen Florio 

NOMINEES 

Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library by Amanda Chapman 
The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols 
Murder Two Doors Down by Chuck Storla 
Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto 

GRAND MASTER

Donna Andrews and Lee Child

RAVEN AWARD

 Book Passage, Corte Madera CA

ELLERY QUEEN AWARD

John Scognamiglio, Kensington Books


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Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Top Ten Books of 2023

I read 137 books in 2023!  It is always hard to determine what my best ten books are for any year.  This year is a little different in that I knew off the top of my head what the top ten seven books were going to be and in what order.  Please note, I am choosing books from among different genres for this list.  The list includes mysteries, historical fiction and graphic novels. Among the genres, I read 51 mysteries, 46 historical fiction/historical mysteries, 27 graphic novels, and 7 nonfiction books. There were 6 additional books where I did not classify a genre.  They were Amish fiction novels. In addition, 64 of the books that I read were new releases and 33 were written by new (to me) authors.  Below are my top ten:

10.  White Faced Lies by Eric Flanagan (graphic novel)

9.  Sunburn by Andi Watson (graphic novel)

8.  Night at the Belfry by Xavier Saxon (graphic novel)

7.  The Shallows by Holly Craig (mystery)

6.  Red Queen by Juan Gomez Jurado (mystery)

5.  The Last Russian Doll by Kristen Loetsch (historical fiction)

4.  Banyan Moon by Thao Thai (historical fiction)

3.  Blood Oranges by J. M. Cannon (mystery)

2.  Weyward by Emilia Hart (historical mystery)

and my best book of the year is: 

1.  The Armor of Light by Ken Follett (historical fiction)
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Monday, December 25, 2023

Top Ten Historical Fiction Novels of 2023

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. Between them and mysteries I read at least 100 books every year. Note that my top ten books were not necessarily published in 2023 but come from any of the books that I read this year.  The top five books, though, were published in 2023. Below is my list.  Drum roll please.


10)   Keeper of the Queen's Jewels by Adrienne Dillard

9)    The Godmother's Secret by Elizabeth St. John

8)    Cor Rotto by Adrienne Dillard

7)    Murder Under a Red Moon by Harini Nagendra

6)    The Importance of Pawns by Keira Morgan

5)    The Porcelain Moon by Janie Chang

4)    Terror in Topaz by A. M. Stuart

3)    Banyan Moon by Thao Thai

2)    Weyward by Emilia Hart

1)    The Armor of Light by Ken Follett

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Sunday, December 24, 2023

Top Ten Mystery Books of 2023

I have been reading mysteries ever since I learned to read.  They are my favorite genre and this year I read 61 of them. Note that my top ten books were not necessarily published in 2023 but come from any of the books that I read this year.  Eight of the books, though, were published in 2023. Here is my list:


9)    Someone Else's Life by Lyn Liao Butler

8)    Hide by Tracy Clark

7)    The Blue Bar by Damyanti Biswas

6)    Date Night by Samantha Hayes

5)    Final Call by Alex Lake

4)    Honey Drop Dead by Laura Childs

3)    Red Queen by Juan Gomez Jurado

2)    The Shallows by Holly Craig

1)    Blood Oranges by J. M. Cannon
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Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Wrap-up of the 2023 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge


2023 is the first year that I have participated in the Alphabet Soup Challenge. I only managed to read 24 of the 26 required books, even though the 2 unread books are saved in my kindle app. There is no more time for reading this year. Of course, the two letters I missed are hard ones:  Q and X. I will be reading Jess Lourey's The Quarry Girls and Jeffrey Deaver's XOXO sometime next year. Below, in alphabetical order, are links to the reviews that I posted on my blog.

A Marriage of Fortune by Anne O' Brien
The Blue Bar by Damyanti Biswas
Cor Rotto by Adrienne Dillard
Death on the Danube by Jennifer Anderson
Ephemera by Briana Loewensohn
Follow You Home by Mark Edwards
The Godmother's Secret by Elizabeth St. John
The Infidel Stain by M. J. Carter
Keeper of the Queen's Jewels by Adrienne Dillard
Letters of Trust by Wanda Brunstetter
Night Shift by Robin Cook
The Orchid Hour by Nancy Bailey
The Papal Assassin by S. J. Martin
Red Queen by Juan Gomez Jurado
The Sterling Affair by Nathan Dylan Goodwin
The Tiffany Girls by Shelley Noble
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman
Vanish in Plain Sight by Marta Perry
The White Ship by Charles Spencer
Zemindar by Valerie Fitzgerald

Favorite Book:  Red Queen

Second Favorite Book:  The Orchid Hour

Least Favorite Book:  Ephemera
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Monday, December 18, 2023

Wrap-Up of the 2023 New Release Reading Challenge


Early in January I signed up to rejoin The New Release Challenge. It is an easy challenge for me as most of my book selections every year are new releases.  I increased by personal challenge by selecting the New Release Pro level of participation which required me to read between 31 and 60 newly published books.  I had no problem meeting this challenge.  I read 66 books!  Here is what I read:

House Aretoli by K. M. Butler
The Heirloom by Beverly Lewis
The Blue Bar by Damyanti Biswas
Dead Fall by Brad Thor
Tides of Fire by James Rollins
Hide by Tracy Clark
The Orchid Hour by Nancy Bilyeau
Night Angels by Weina Day Randel
Someone Else's Life by Lyn Liao Butler
The Red Citadel by Michael Lynes
New America by Curt Piers
Mary Shelley: The Eternal Dream by Alessandro di Vigilio
The Last Kingdom by Steve Berry
The Porcelain Moon by Janie Chang
The Flame Tree by Siobhan Daiko
Five Steps Beyond by Luana Ehrlich
Terror in Topaz by A. M. Stuart
The Shallows by Holly Craig
The Lemon Curd Killer by Laura Childs
The Rail Splitter by John Crabb
Letters of Trust by Wanda Brunstetter
Letters of Comfort by Wanda Brunstetter
The Paris Notebook by Tessa Harris
The Cursed Heir by Heather Atkinson
His Fatal Legacy by Heather Atkinson
Evil at Alardyce House by Heather Atkinson
An Evil Heart by Linda Castillo
The Ghost Ship by Kate Mosse
The Jerusalem Scrolls by Gary McAvoy
Red Queen by Juan Gomez Jurado
Murder Under a Red Moon by Harini Nagendra
Weyward by Emilia Hart
The Last Russian Doll by Kristen Loetsch
A Marriage of Fortune by Anne O'Brien
Where Waters Meet by Zhang Ling
The Triumph of Lions by Stefania Auci
Fourth of July Forgery by Tanya Kappes
Black River by Matthew Spencer
Mistress of Bhatia House by Sujata Massey
Rebel King by Tom Bower
The Armor of Light by Ken Follett
A Polluted Font by Mel Starr
The Spectacular by Fiona Davis
Six Sweets Under by Sarah Fox
The Tiffany Girls by Shelley Noble
Blood Oranges by J. M. Cannon
Ephemera by Briana Loewinsohn
Sisters by the Sea by Wanda Brunstetter
Final Call by Alex Lake
Honey Drop Dead by Laura Childs
Arca by Van Jensen
Frontera by Julio Anta
Family Style by Thien Pham
The Collector by Dan Silva
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai


Favorite Book:  Weyward

Second Favorite Book:  The Paris Notebook

Least Favorite Book:  Black River
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Sunday, December 17, 2023

Wrap-Up of the 2023 Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge

One year ago when I signed up for this challenge I agreed to read between 26 and 35 books.  The was the Inspector Level of participation.  I more than met the challenge by reading 61 books!  A few of these were historical mysteries and were also counted for that genre. Below are links to my book reviews:

Date Night by Samantha Hayes
Dead Fall by Brad Thor
The Way of the Wicked by Ellery Adams
Good Friday by Lynda Laplante
The Papal Assassin by S. J. Martin
Night Shift by Robin Cook
The Blue Bar by Dominate Biswas
Murder in Plain Sight by Marta Perry
Vanish in Plain Sight by Marta Perry
Terror in Topaz by A. M. Stuart
Murder in the Park by Jeanne Dams
Murder on the Beach by Dianne Harman
Death on the Danube by Jennifer Anderson
Girl Forgotten by Karin Slaughter
The Sterling Affair by Nathan Dylan Goodwin
The Avignon Affair by Gary McAvoy
Hide by Tracy Clark
A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch
Someone Else's Life by Lyn Liao Butler
Five Steps Beyond by Luana Ehrlich
The Last Kingdom by Steve Berry
Sea of Greed by Clive Cussler
Honey Drop Dead by Laura Childs
Tides of Fire by James Rollins
The Lemon Curd Killer by Laura Childs
Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
The Shallows by Holly Craig
The Magdalene Veil by Gary McAvoy
Six Feet Deep Dish by Mindy Quigley
Red Queen by Juan Gomez Jurado
Murder Under a Red Moon by Harini Nagendra
His Fatal Legacy by Heather Atkinson
Evil at Alardyce House by Heather Atkinson
Stolen in the Night by Patricia McDonald
The Cursed Heir by Heather Atkinson
Follow You Home by Mark Edwards
Six Sweets Under by Sarah Fox
Blood Oranges by J. M. Cannon
Fourth of July Forgery by Tonya Kappes
Final Call by Alex Lake
Poison by Charlot King
The Infadel Stain by M. J. Carter
Black River by Matthew Spencer
A Polluted Font by Mel Starr
The Spectacular by Fiona Davis
The Collector by Dan Silva
An Evil Heart by Linda Castillo
Thanksgiving Treachery by Tanya Kappes
DNA Never Lies by Sue George
The Strangler Vine by M. J. Carter

Favorite Book:  Weyward

Second Favorite Book:  Blood Oranges

Least Favorite Book:  Key Lime Pie Murder

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Saturday, December 16, 2023

Wrap-Up of the 2023 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Last year I signed up for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge at the Ancient History Level. The level required me to read 25 books. I did much better than my goal by reading 46! Below are the links to my book selections:

The Magdalene Veil - Gary McAvoy
The Avignon Affair - Gary McAvoy
Cor Rotto - Adrienne Dillard
The Godmother's Secret -  Elizabeth St. John
The Papal Assassin - S. J. Martin
Zemindar - Valerie Fitzgerald
Night Angels - Weina Day Randel
The Red Citadel - Michael Lynes
The Porcelain Moon - Janie Chang
The Flame Tree - Siobhan Daiko
The Rail Splitter - John Cribb
A Marriage of Fortune - Anne O'Brien
The Paris Notebook - Tessa Harris
The Cursed Heir - Heather Atkinson
Weyward - Emilia Hart
Murder Under a Red Moon - Harini Nagendra
The Last Russian Doll - Kristen Loesch
Where Waters Meet - Zhang Ling
His Fatal Legacy - Heather Atkinson
The Strangler Vine - M. J. Carter
The Infidel Stain - M. J. Carter
Evil at Alardyce House - Heather Atkinson
A Polluted Font - Mel Starr
The Tiffany Girls - Shelley Noble
The Spectacular - Fiona Davis
Banyan Moon - Thao Thai
The Ghost Ship - Kate Mosse
House Aretoli - K. M. Butler
Russka - Edward Rutherfurd
The Orchid Hour - Nancy Bilyeau
Mistress of Bhatia House - Sujata Massey
Terror in Topaz - A. M. Stuart
The Armor of Light - Ken Follett

Favorite Book:  The Armor of Light

Second Favorite Book:  Weyward

Honorable Mentions:  The Perfumist of Paris, Banyan Moon, Terror in Topaz  and The Last Russian Doll

Favorite Series:  Alardyce House by Heather Atkinson

Least Favorite Book:  The Infidel Stain
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Sunday, December 10, 2023

Wrap-Up of the 2023 Color Coded Reading Challenge


Nine books were required to meet the Color Coded Challenge.  Each book had to have the follow colors in the book title or book cover: blue, red, yellow, green, brown, black, white, any other color and something that implies a color.

I met this challenge by reading and reviewing the following eleven books:

The Blue Bar by Damyanti  Bistros

The White Ship by Charles Spencer

A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch

Red Queen by Juan Gomez Jurado

Murder Under a Red Moon by Harini Nagendra

Black River by Matthew Spencer

The Infidel Stain by M. J. Carter

Blood Oranges by Jim Cannon

Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See

Terror in Topaz by A. M. Stuart

The Yellow Rambutan Tree Mystery by Ovida Yu


Favorite Book:  Blood Oranges 

Second Favorite Book:  It's a tie! Red Queen and Murder Under a Red Moon.

Least Favorite Book:  Key Lime Pie Murder

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Friday, December 8, 2023

End of Year Book Memes

I found both of these memes on Librarything. They both were posted approximately 8 years ago but I just found them last week during a search.  Just fill in the answers with books you've read this year.  Here are my answers:

Meme #1

Describe yourself:  The Middle Ages by Eleanor Janega

Describe how you feel:  Cor Rotto by Adrienne Dillard

Describe where you currently live:  The House of Pines by Ana Reyes

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:  Russka by Edward Rutherfurd

Your favorite form of transportation:  The Ghost Ship by Kate Mosse

Your best friend is:  Mistress of Bhatia House by Sujata Massey

You and your friends are:  Night Angels by Weina Day Randel

What’s the weather like:  Red Winter by Tom Clancy

You fear:  Date Night by Samantha Hayes

What is the best advice you have to give:  Vanish is Plain Sight by Marta Perry

Thought for the day:  Honey Drop Dead by Laura Childssds

How I would like to die:  Six Feet Deep Dish by Amanda Quigley

My soul’s present condition:  Weyward by Emilia Hart


Meme #2

Shortest book title?  Poison by Charlotte King

How many re-reads?  1: The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman

Most books read by one author this year?  I read 5 books by Gary McAvoy:  The Avignon Affair, The Magdalene Deception, The Magdalene Veil, The Magdalene Reliquary, and The Jerusalem Scrolls

Any in translation?  1: Juan Gomez Jurado's Red Queen

How many books were borrowed from the library?  19

Name a book you’ve read this year which was recommended by a blogger?  Ashes to Ashes Crust to Crust by Mindy Quigley

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Wednesday, December 6, 2023

The Red Citadel

I received an advanced review copy of The Red Citadel through the Early Reviewer's Program at Librarything.  It is the third book in Michael Lynes Isaac Alvarez Mystery series and it was published earlier this month.  The Red Citadel is a historical thriller set in the court of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain.  It takes place in Granada, Spain in 1499.

The publisher's summary:

Issac is desperate to return from exile to his family in Seville. Haunted by accusations of heresy he is still recovering from the death of his wife. Granada is riven by religious tension: the Catholics want the Muslims to convert. Isaac falls in love with Aisha, the wife of the rebel Muslim leader and his friend, Abdul Rahman. If he finds out Isaac will be a dead man. The king offers Isaac a chance to return to Seville, in return for gathering intelligence on the rebels. Where do Isaac’s loyalties lie? Then an old enemy accuses Isaac of murdering the Grand Inquisitor. Can Isaac’s daughter, Isabel, save him?  Issac must prove he is innocent of murder, satisfy the king, and reconcile his feelings for Aisha. Can he quell a rebellion and reunite his family?

I had some difficulty getting interested in the story because of the many historical terms used by the author in the initial chapters. There are a lot of them. However, since I have studied this era in Spain and am well acquainted with its history, I was surprised by this. There is an assumption that the reader knows this history and can figure out what is going on. In addition, there were a lot of characters introduced early in the story and that also slowed me down. I continued reading and it all soon gelled in my mind.

As I mentioned above, the book is advertised as a historical thriller perfect for fans of CJ Sansom and SJ Parris.  I agree that Sansom and Parris fans will like the book. However, it is not a thriller.  As mentioned above, the book is the third book in a trilogy and I have not read the first two books. I am sure that this is affecting my experience reading the novel. The author said in an online interview that he believes he did a good enough job of weaving the back story into this novel so that it can be read as a standalone.  Since I have not read the earlier books I cannot make any comments about these statements.

If you have not read any historical fiction about the Spanish Inquisition, I recommend that you read the trilogy but in order. There is much to learn about how Jews and Muslims were treated by the Spanish monarchs during this era. Some of the Jews had converted to Christianity but many of them secretly continued worshipping as Jews. Some of the Muslims also converted but those that did not had to agree to be subject to their Christian rulers.  It's a heartbreaking fact of history.  I am planning to read the earlier two books in the series and re-read The Red Citadel sometime next year.  I feel that the author is giving us a good history lesson in his writing.

I am excited that he plans on returning to Granada next Spring to research his next book.  It is going to be a young adult novel set in the same time period.  The story will focus on Isaac's ten-year-old ward Juana.  Juana's father was executed by the Inquisition and her mother died in "mysterious circumstances." The Alhambra, which is the red citadel in the title, will be the setting of this new novel also.  I love this setting and have been pining to travel to Spain to see it in person.  

The book was a slow read so I am rating it 3 out of 5 stars.

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Thursday, July 6, 2023

Best New Mysteries of 2023 . . . So Far

Several social media sites that I follow have made lists of the best new books of 2023. I am jumping on the bandwagon with my own list of the best new mystery novels. Here are my picks:

Hide by Tracy Clark was published on January 1, 2023.

The Blue Bar by Dimyanti Biswas was also published on January 1, 2023.

Someone Else's Life by Lyn Liao Butler was published on February 1, 2023.

Lemon Curd Killer by Laura Childs was published on March 7, 2023.

Red Queen by Juan Gomez-Jurado was published on March 14, 2023.

Two of my favorite authors have books coming out later this month and I am looking forward to reading them. They are Dan Silva, and Brad Thor. James Rollins and Laura Childs have books coming out next month. It's going to be a great summer for reading!
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Monday, May 1, 2023

Red Queen

Red Queen was written by the author in 2018 in his native Spanish language. It was translated into English by Nick Caistor in 2023. Gomez-Jurado is one of my favorite authors. In Red Queen he has moved away from his usual religious thrillers to a political thriller. While I loved his religious thrillers and wish he would continue to write them, Red Queen was a fabulous read.

The publisher's summary:  

Antonia Scott―the daughter of a British diplomat and a Spanish mother―has a gifted forensic mind, whose ability to reconstruct crimes and solve baffling murders is legendary. But after a personal trauma, she's refused to continue her work or even leave her apartment.

Jon Gutierrez, a police officer in Bilbao―disgraced, suspended, and about to face criminal charges―is offered a chance to salvage his career by a secretive organization that works in the shadows to direct criminal investigations of a highly sensitive nature. All he has to do is succeed where many others have failed: Convince a recalcitrant Antonia to come out of her self-imposed retirement, protecting her and helping her investigate a new, terrifying case.

The case is a macabre, ritualistic murder―a teen-aged boy from a wealthy family whose body was found without a drop of blood left in it. But the murder is just the start. A high-ranking executive and daughter of one of the richest men in Spain is kidnapped, a crime which is tied to the previous murder. Behind them both is a hidden mastermind with even more sinister plans. And the only person with a chance to see the connections, solve the crimes and successfully match wits with the killer before tragedy strikes again...is Antonia Scott.

Antonia Scott is a lovable investigator regardless of her personality quirks. She has been chosen to be Spain's red queen, a titled bestowed on one brilliant investigator in each European country. Antonia relies on pills that her Mentor gives her to help her filter outside stimuli so that she can focus on what she is seeing at a scene. The pills only work for an hour so she has to be selective about when she takes them. Red Queen is a crime fighting organization in Europe, similar to Interpol. Her sidekick Jon Gutierrez had been seriously wronged by a former employer and I couldn't help but root for him. This team of crime fighters work amazingly well together which is a good thing as Red Queen is the beginning of the Antonia Scott series. 

Despite Antonia and Jon's differences they quickly begin working on tracking down a criminal named Ezekiel who has slowly drained the blood from a man's carotid artery.  There was no blood at the scene nor was there any blood in the victim's body. Ezekiel then kidnaps Carla Ortiz, the daughter of the richest man in the world. I saw shades of Bill Gates here.  Ezekiel is an interesting character. He frequently tells himself "I am a good person." He also uses a line from Psalm 23 to add his signature to each crime scene:  annointing the dead person's head with oil.

The story had a super fast pace and was unputdownable. If you decide to read this book, make sure that you have time to finish it in one sitting. You won't be able to stop reading. It seemed that each chapter had a new twist to add to the story and this created alot of suspense. The short chapters also helped me keep reading because what's a few more pages before taking a break. Right?  

The Red Queen is a must read. 5 out of 5 stars.

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Monday, November 29, 2021

2022 Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge

I am rejoining this challenge in 2022.  It was alot of fun in 2021. I particularly enjoyed searching for books that met the key words for each month.

Challenge Rules:

1)    The challenge runs all year long from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022.

2)    Eight “key words” are given for each month. Your task is to read 1 book that includes one or more of the key words in the title.

3)    Synonyms and different suffixes are allowed. For example, if the keyword is ‘Lake’ you may also use the words ‘Lakes’, ‘Water’, ‘Sea’, ‘Ocean’. 

4)    A check in post will be published here on the blog, in our Goodreads GXO Reading Challenges group and on Instagram each month. You can link up on the blog posts to announce your completion of that months challenge using the hashtag #Monthly KeyWordGXO

5)    Please properly credit and link back to Girlxoxo or Kim on Instagram any time you post about the challenge on your blog or social media.

6)    If you post what you’ve read to social media please use the hashtag #MonthlyKeyWordGXO.

7)    If you are on Goodreads consider joining our GXO Goodreads Reading Challenge Group. You can get book suggestions, do progress check-ins and meet other challenge participants.

8)    You can track your progress using a blog or any social media platform. We are active on Instagram, Twitter, and Goodreads.

9)    Monthly Check in Posts will be linked below as soon as they’re posted. You can check in there, on our GXO Goodreads Reading Challenge Group or with our Instagram hashtag #KeyWordReadingChallenge

                            MONTHLY KEY WORDS

JAN – Last, Kingdom, Girl, Dark, When, Winter, Light, Window

FEB – Midnight, Never, Into, Sun, Love, Good, Spell, Search

MAR – End, Fall, Loud, Queen, Woods, Nine, Beautiful, Crown

APR – Race, Now, Chose, While, Stop, Burn, Red, One

MAY – Thorn, Catch, Black, Under, City, Cloud, Sing, Legacy

JUN – Sea, You, Hate, Perfect, Shade, Until, Beach, Little

JUL – Star, Next, Infinity, Iron, Word, People, Rise, Clear

AUG – Breath, Case, Hundred, Day, Happy, Language, Stay, Lie

SEP – Bright, Here, Out, Life, Strange, Rule, Story, Salt

OCT – House, Bone, Haunt, Body, Blood, Witch, Murder, Mystery

NOV – Many, Boy, River, Fever, Down, Gold, Jade, Hill

DEC – Still, Cabin, Cafe, Night, Lake, By, Holiday, Fire

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