REVIEW: Count To Ten by Karen Rose

Title:  Count To Ten

Author:  Karen Rose

Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing

Publication Date:    February, 2007

Genre:  Romantic Suspense / Mystery / Thriller

Rating:  10/10

Description:  In all his years in the Chicago Fire Department, Lieutenant Reed Solliday has never experienced anything like this recent outbreak of house fires - devastating, vicious and in one case, homicidal. He has another problem - his new partner, Detective Mia Mitchell. She's brash, bossy, and taking the case in a direction he never imagined.

Mia's instincts tell her the arsonist is making this personal. And as the infernos become more deadly, one look at the victims' tortured faces convinces her and Reed that they must work closer to catch the killer. With each new blaze, the villain ups the ante, setting firetraps for the people Reed and Mia love. The truth is almost too hot to handle: This monster's desire for death and destruction is unquenchable ... and for Mia he's started the countdown to an early grave.

My Thoughts:  Back when I was reading Abe and Kristen’s story in I’M WATCHING YOU, I remember thinking how much I would enjoy reading a story with Mia as the lead character.  Well, the book gods were listening and the ultra-talented Karen Rose has delivered not just another suspenseful tale that is becoming Ms. Rose’s trademark, but another story filled with characters the reader will fall in love with and cheer for.

When Reed and Mia first meet, it’s her first day back from an on the job injury.  Mia is just as stubborn and obstinate as I remember her.  She shouldn’t be back but she’s determined to get the hoodlums who put her and her partner out of commission.  Saying she’s less than happy upon learning she is being partnered with Reed is an understatement.  Adding to her injury, Mia has a chip on her shoulder the size of Chicago and the last thing she wants to deal with is a partner.  Reed isn’t too happy with the situation either as they get off on the wrong foot.  I am glad there was friction between the two in the beginning.  I like a realistic story and a cynical detective returning to duty, trying to keep the pain at bay and deal with a lot of additional personal baggage on top of that just isn’t going to be all sunshine and happiness.  I liked that Reed doesn’t let Mia push him around or intimidate him.  Even though he’s not a police officer, he holds his own very well when the situation calls for it. 

I suspected who the killer was as soon as he was introduced but wasn’t confirmed until much later in the story.  With each of Karen Rose’s books, I get more drawn into the characters.  She writes such compelling characters that it is impossible for the reader to remain detached.  The villains, as well, draw you in with their complexity, even as you are despising them and what they are doing.  There are several supporting characters that I really enjoyed meeting and who have a huge impact on Mia.  Several of the characters from previous books make an appearance and it’s always a nice treat when that happens as the reader is given an update on what these characters have been up to without drawing the focus away from the main storyline.

The mark of an excellent story is when it can evoke multiple emotions from the reader.  This one did that for me.  Blended into the spine-tingling suspense, I found myself laughing a few times, getting angry several times and crying a few times throughout the book.  If you haven’t read any of Karen Rose’s work, you are missing out on some of the best stories out there.  Don’t make the mistake I did and wait too long to get started…the clock is ticking.

REVIEW: R Is For Ricochet by Sue Grafton

Title: R Is For Ricochet (Kinsey Millhone #18)
Author: Sue Grafton
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: July, 2004
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4/10

Description: Reba Lafferty was a daughter of privilege, the only child of an adoring father. Nord Lafferty was already in his fifties when Reba was born, and he could deny her nothing. Over the years, he quietly settled her many scrapes with the law, but he wasn't there for her when she was convicted of embezzlement and sent to the California Institute for Women. Now, at thirty-two, she is about to be paroled, having served twenty-two months of a four-year sentence. Nord Lafferty wants to be sure she stays straight, stays at home and away from the drugs, the booze, the gamblers.

It seems a straightforward assignment for Kinsey: babysit Reba until she settles in, make sure she follows all the rules of her parole. Maybe a week's work. Nothing untoward—the woman seems remorseful and friendly. And the money is good.

But life is never that simple, and Reba is out of prison less than twenty-four hours when one of her old crowd comes circling round.

My Thoughts: Overall, this is a decent series but it’s starting to lag for me. I like Kinsey but while reading this book about Kinsey’s latest job of picking up a convicted felon released from prison on parole fell short of the mark for me. I felt Kinsey’s tenacious skills as a private investigator were wasted with this babysitting job. The few interactions Kinsey has in the book with Henry left me unsettled as well. With a long-running series, there needs to be definitive character development and growth. As we near closer to the end of the alphabet, it doesn’t feel like there’s much growth.

There wasn’t a lot of mystery with this story but I am hoping that will change with the next book. There is potential in R for a new relationship for Kinsey and I think it’s time. Let’s face it…Henry isn’t going to live forever and when that time comes, Kinsey is going to need people around her to help her pick up the pieces and cope. I get that in Kinsey’s line of work, being a loner is part of the job, but I would enjoy seeing Kinsey’s circle of friends increase beyond Rosie and the gang. I would enjoy seeing Kinsey finally settle down and start a family!

For the record, I did like Reba Lafferty more than I thought I would. I was expecting her to be a nasty piece of work, but she surprised me several times in the story. Even when she screws up and slides backwards, you don’t get the sense she’s a bad person, just a messed up girl who gets mixed up with the wrong people and makes bad choices.

I will see this series through to the end since I’ve come this far. I really like Kinsey and want to find out what happens next but I’m not champing at the bit.

REVIEW: Fire Burn And Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory

Title: Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble (Jolie Wilkins, #1)
Author: H.P. Mallory
Publisher: Smashwords
Publication Date: July, 2010
Genre: Paranormal Romance / Cozy Mystery
Rating: 6/10

Description: A self-deprecating witch with the unique ability to reanimate the dead.
A dangerously handsome warlock torn between being her boss and her would-be lover.
A six hundred year old English vampire with his own agenda; one that includes an appetite for witches.
The Underworld in a state of chaos.
Let the games begin.

Life isn't bad for psychic Jolie Wilkins. True, she doesn't have a love life to speak of, but she has a cute house in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a cat and a quirky best friend.

Enter Rand Balfour, a sinfully attractive warlock who insists she's a witch and who just might turn her life upside down. Rand hires her to help him solve a mystery regarding the death of his client who also happens to be a ghost. Jolie not only uncovers the cause of the ghost's demise but, in the process, she brings him back to life!

Word of Jolie’s incredible ability to bring back the dead spreads like wildfire, putting her at the top of the underworld’s most wanted list. Consequently, she finds herself at the center of a custody battle between a villainous witch, a dangerous but oh-so-sexy vampire, and her warlock boss, Rand.

My Thoughts: Upon receiving my Nook over a year ago, my initial thought was how much space I would free up by eliminating all of the paper bound books with an e-book version. As all good intentions go, it sounded like a legitimate plan but has never transpired. Instead, I find myself browsing Barnes & Noble frequently and my library’s digital catalog often for books to acquire and the pattern I am seeing with this plan is that many of these books are books I don’t already own in paper format and, more often than not, are written by new to me authors. Such is the case with the first book in the Jolie Wilkins series, Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory. Of course, I couldn’t just limit myself to this book. When I saw the first book for another series by this author, I had to acquire that one too.

Honestly, folks, this whole Nook business isn’t helping me manage my reading in the slightest. Putting a Nook in my hands seems to have the same effect as putting crack in the hands of a drug addict. I’m going to use it and probably dig myself deeper into this pit of “Mount TBR.” I’m thinking an intervention with Dr. Phil is required next. While I am waiting for Dr. Phil to swoop down and give me my dose of reality, I may as well share my thoughts and impressions of Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble.

If I were being 100% honest here and I believe honesty is the best policy with any undertaking, anytime you have paranormal creatures with British accents, you have my undivided attention. Doesn’t matter what kind of paranormal creatures we are dealing with, either. Warlocks and Vampires with English accents…count me in. Kilt wearing Fairies with Scottish accents…I am so there. There’s even a pervert ghost who enjoys watching our heroine disrobe.

Our heroine, Jolie, doesn’t know she’s a witch when this story begins. She’s a psychic who has no idea what the extent of her powers really are. She is hired by a warlock to assist him in solving a mystery involving the death of his client and when she inadvertently resurrects the ghost, the rest of the underworld’s focus and attention is riveted on Jolie and not in a good way. Jolie is thrust into this paranormal existence and is uprooted to England to live with the warlock (such a hardship…I wish I had her problems) and begin learning to use her powers. Jolie’s abilities have brought down some very unwanted attention by some of the less scrupulous members of the paranormal community who want to use her powers for their personal gain.

Overall, I liked Jolie but I did find myself getting bored pretty quickly with how fickle she comes across. I get that the male members of the paranormal world aren’t your normal run of the mill men. They exude a lot of pheromones, for lack of a better description, and they have no trouble acquiring female company. Jolie is attracted sexually to practically all of them and the feelings of desire are reciprocated as well. Unfortunately, the one she really wants holds her at arm’s length. Sadly that relationship is not resolved by the end of this book, so readers will have to tune in to the rest of the series to find out if Jolie and Rand end up together.

Overall, a decent start to a series with a lot of loose ends that hopefully get tied up as the series moves along. The kilt wearing Fairies with Scottish accents have captured my interest so I will be checking out the next book to see what transpires next.

New Additions To The TBR Pile In April

April wasn't a very productive month on the reading front or on the acquisition front. Two of these books I have already read and one I am in the process of listening to.

Fire Burn And Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory

Description: Life isn't bad for psychic Jolie Wilkins. True, she doesn't have a love life to speak of, but she has a cute house in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a cat and a quirky best friend.

Enter Rand Balfour, a sinfully attractive warlock who insists she's a witch and who just might turn her life upside down. Rand hires her to help him solve a mystery regarding the death of his client who also happens to be a ghost. Jolie not only uncovers the cause of the ghost's demise but, in the process, she brings him back to life!

Word of Jolie’s incredible ability to bring back the dead spreads like wildfire, putting her at the top of the underworld’s most wanted list. Consequently, she finds herself at the center of a custody battle between a villainous witch, a dangerous but oh-so-sexy vampire, and her warlock boss, Rand.

Possession In Death by J.D. Robb

Description: “The devil killed my body. I cannot fight, I cannot find. I cannot free her. You must. You are the one. We speak to the dead.”

Immediately after hearing these words, uttered to her by an old Romanian woman bleeding to death in the street, detective Eve Dallas begins to notice that her latest case has come with a number of interesting side-effects: visions of the deceased, instant familiarity with rooms she’s never seen before, and fluency in Russian. Likewise, there appears to be a force inside of her, a spirit other than her own, that won’t let her rest until she’s found Beata, the old woman’s great-granddaughter, whose disappearance two months prior remains a mystery. Desperate to be free of her new “gifts”, Eve pursues the facts until she discovers a link between Beata’s disappearance and the disappearance of eight other young women, all of whom attended the same dance classes, none of whom were ever heard from again.

R Is For Ricochet by Sue Grafton

Description: Reba Lafferty was a daughter of privilege, the only child of an adoring father. Nord Lafferty was already in his fifties when Reba was born, and he could deny her nothing. Over the years, he quietly settled her many scrapes with the law, but he wasn't there for her when she was convicted of embezzlement and sent to the California Institution for Women. Now, at thirty-two, she is about to be paroled, having served twenty-two months of a four-year sentence.

Nord Lafferty wants to be sure she stays straight, stays at home and away from the drugs, the booze, the gamblers. It seems a straightforward assignment for Kinsey: babysit Reba until she settles in, make sure she follows all the rules of her parole. Maybe all of a week's work. Nothing untoward - the woman seems remorseful and friendly. And the money is good. But life is never that simple, and Reba is out of prison less than twenty-four hours when one of her old crowd comes circling round.

Changeless by Gail Carriger

Description: Alexia Tarabotti, the Lady Woolsey, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears - leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria.

But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can.

She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.