This was an interesting read, full of strange sketches that the reader needs to interpret or manipulate in order to reveal clues and solve the mystery. These appear in a series of overlapping stories, moving backwards and forwards in the timeline. While I didn’t hate it, I felt some of the clues and the way the story developed was a bit of a stretch. The idea that people would leave enigmatic drawings to help identify their murderer? Yeah, not really. The interpretation of the mountain drawings was wild, and there was a lot of exposition required to wrap things up. Not a bad read, but I don’t think I’m the target audience.

This book is on loan from the Summit County Library.

Ben Braddock is a young man returned from the Great War and heralded as a hero for doing nothing more than surviving the final battle. He was impoverished before the draft and really has nothing to return to, until he is taken in by the family of his commanding officer. His shame and discomfort is palpable; he allows himself to be manipulated by the family out of a combination of survivor’s guilt and a desperation to keep a roof over his head and because he just doesn’t know how to tell them no.

His commanding officer, Wickersly, died in the battle but did not come home to a hero’s burial. His performance as a leader did not cover him in glory, and now he is haunting the young man who is living in his home, sleeping in his bed, and dining, reluctantly, with his family. Braddock is already dealing with his PTSD, the lingering pain of his injuries, his poverty, and now the appearance of his disgraced commanding officer at his window every night.

This is a short read, more of a novella, but well-written. It’s sad but suspenseful, and manages to paint its picture of steampunk Britain without a lot of exposition, just well-placed details. A bit of a palate-cleanser before I dig into some longer works.

My copy of The Apple-Tree Throne came from my Kindle library.

Toshio Ishikawa has been the proprietor of a very special pawnshop. It’s a magical place and not everyone can see it – most only see a ramen shop. But for the patrons who find their way to his door, they have a rare opportunity: to lay down a burden they have been carrying, to pawn their bad decisions and painful choices, and move on without those regrets.

Toshio has been training his daughter, Hana, since she was a very small child; her destiny is to take over the shop and its unusual goods and clients. Her father is growing old and wishes to retire and turn the day-to-day operations over to Hana. But on her first morning as proprietress, she is stunned to find the shop ransacked and her father missing – along with some very valuable merchandise. As she is reeling from her discoveries, a young man, Keishin, comes through the shop’s door and offers to help, first with Hana’s bleeding foot, and then with the search for her father.

Hana accepts his offer and they find themselves on a magical, mystical adventure in a universe where nothing is as it seems. You see, the pawnshop is a portal between two worlds and if Hana cannot find her father and the missing merchandise, the results will be catastrophic.

The book is absolutely magical. There are so many amazing places and people and items they come across! They go to the village where every night, the stars are made anew. They climb the ladders to the Night Market where almost anything is available – for a price. They travel across the universe on the wings of a rumor as it races through the population of this parallel place. They jump through puddles and visit an amazing museum where the exhibits are borne by paper cranes. Keishin is a scientist, a physicist, and he is astounded by the things he is seeing, but it is Hana who truly commands his attention – but he will learn her secrets too late.

I devoured this book in one sitting. I had read the first 15 or 18 pages, but on a quiet Saturday afternoon I read the remaining 360 pages in one sitting. It is absolutely lovely, musical and magical and such a pleasure. And I will never look at the doorway of a ramen shop the same way again.

My copy of Water Moon came to me courtesy of my local public library. Give your library some love.

First, let’s talk about the title: Holmes is Missing. What ideas does that conjure up? That Holmes has been kidnapped, that he has disappeared, something along those lines, at least, that’s what I thought. But no. Holmes is in rehab – no surprise, considering he literally overdosed on heroin in the last book – and they all know it. He’s not with them, but he’s not exactly missing.

The mystery part is pretty intriguing. A group of newborns has gone missing from a posh hospital. It’s clear that there has been some measure of inside help, as security measures have been derailed, but how does someone spirit away six babies without anyone noticing? Then a school bus goes missing and the children are nowhere to be found; is it related? The parents are calling for the team at Holmes, Marple & Poe to get involved, even though the city’s police officials want them as far away as possible.

But there are other things that bothered me. Like the pregnancy scare, and the mother’s very strange response to it all. The suddenly-psychic office assistant who is getting other-worldly impressions during their cases. And what I thought was a completely ridiculous “I’ve always been in love with you” storyline that was so far-fetched, it knocked me right out of the story. Maybe this was the last book planned for the series (which seems unlikely, since Patterson really knows how to milk a series and string his readers along), so he wanted to throw everything at this story. Unfortunately, I was so busy rolling my eyes that I couldn’t really enjoy the book.

My copy of Holmes is Missing came from my personal library. I think I should have waited for a library copy, but you take your chances.

“Instead, I’m here on a Caribbean island, being told I need to talk to the dolphins in the middle of a labor action about some whales that might have torpedoes, armed by a secret society of villains who want access to a storeroom full of objects probably looted from the victims of the friggin’ Nazis and who are maybe willing to blow up my volcano lair to get it.”

‘I admit it sounds ridiculous when you put it that way.”

If you laughed at that description, you  should definitely pick up Starter Villain by John Scalzi. He’s kind of hit or miss for me, but this was a lot of fun.

Charlie Fitzer is in a bad place. A former business reporter for the Chicago Tribune who found himself out of a job when the newspaper industry tanked, Charlie is living in his late father’s home, dodging his half-siblings’ demands that he move out so they can sell the place. He can’t afford anything else on his income as a substitute teacher, and his prospects are not good.

But Charlie has an uncle. A billionaire uncle. A billionaire uncle who just died and left Charlie…something. More than he has right now, that’s for sure. Charlie doesn’t know anything about his uncle’s businesses, but he know that a guy who owns a chain of parking garages does not need a volcano lair. But with the latest meeting of the Lombardy Convocation coming up in just a few days and Charlie tapped to represent his late uncle…Charlie is going to have to get up to speed quick.

It’s a world full of talking dolphins, spying cats, villain cabals, underground volcano hide-outs – a bit like a James Bond novel. Only silly. Charlie may only be a starter villain, but he just might have the knack for it. If he can stay alive long enough. But at least he has his cat, Hera, to help.

My copy of Starter Villain came from my local library. Give your local library some love.

Now, what are the chances that three descendants of the most famous detectives of all time are opening their own detective agency in New York City? Well, since Miss Marple was a fictional character, that seems unlikely. But if they aren’t the scions of private investigations, who are they?

There are some clues but no definitive answers in Holmes, Marple, and Poe. And it’s too early for answers – I want to be teased a little first. They are bold, brash, and talented and they are taking the Big Apple by storm. First, they steal the thunder from Police Commissioner Boolin, when he tries to take credit for solving the disappearance of a young woman, at a press conference that devolves into chaos. That makes them one powerful enemy, but they do earn the grudging respect of Lt. Detective Helene Grey, who will turn out to be a very well-placed friend. It also gets their names in all the papers and suddenly, they are swamped with potential cases. A kidnapping case runs them afoul of the FBI, so they continue to wrack up enemies.  

I definitely enjoyed the start of this series. There is a lot of info in this first book, about their skills, their backgrounds, and their ambitions. Much like his namesake, Holmes is precise and logical…and addicted. Marple is a keen observer, taking in the details that others overlook. Poe is a man haunted by the demons of his past, but it is amazing sense of smell that brings them their first big case. Detective Grey is already digging into their backgrounds and who knows what she’ll find.

By the time this posts, I will already be reading the second book in the series, Holmes is Missing. There is also a series coming to AppleTV, which shows some potential. But this was an excellent read and it makes me want to pick up a couple of Miss Marple mysteries, which I haven’t read in way too long.

I got my copy of Holmes, Marple, and Poe through Kindle Unlimited. (What can I say? I got a deal – 3 months for 99 cents – but I don’t think I’ll keep it. There are some great titles, but I don’t use it enough to make it worth the money, at least not at regular price.)

Joseph Banbury was raised in an ultra-religious household, with “demon drills,” bedtime sermons, seeing the devil in the shadows of the basement. Not surprisingly, he grows up with complicated feelings about religion. He has a variety of mental issues, hallucinations, depression, but he is always devoted to his writing.

It takes ten years, but Joseph finishes his novel, The Skeptic, which delves into his feelings about religion and his upbringing. It takes the reading world by storm – millions of copies sold, all over the talk show circuit, death threats, and even an attempted assault on a Fox News interview show. The librarian who fostered his interest in writing will no longer speak to him. He is estranged from his parents. But there is one person, one presence. that continues to follow him…

The Skeptic focuses on God, but he’s only half the story. What if the Devil shows up and wants to tell his side?

Well, I don’t really know because we only get a taste of it (17%) before we’re expected to hop off and buy the sequel. Not sure that’s in the cards for me.

This book found its way to my Kindle through Kindle Unlimited.

In this modern retelling, Holly Sherwin is a struggling playwright and she finally believes she’s gotten her big shot: a $10,000 grant to develop her latest work, Witching Night. It’s story of a witch, maligned by the townspeople, and the demon dog who helps her exact revenge. I’d probably buy a ticket. This is the opportunity she has been waiting for and on a weekend trip with her partner, Nisa, she finds the perfect inspiration, the perfect place to huddle with her friends and work on the play. A foreboding Victorian mansion on a hill.

The owner tries to warn her away. She tells her that Hill House is dangerous, that people tend to project their fears and weaknesses on the house, and that no one has managed to live there very long. Still, Holly is convinced that it has exactly the right atmosphere and she insists on leasing the place for two week in late fall. She brings Nisa, who has written hauntingly beautiful murder ballads for the play, and her best friend, Stevie. Stevie will be playing the part of Tomasin, the demon dog, and he is also working on the sound design for the production. Finally, Amanda Greer, an aging actress whose career has never quite taken off, joins them to play Elizabeth Sawyer, the witch.

Almost immediately, things are strange. There appear to be large black hares roaming the woods. The house is dark, no matter how many lights they turn on. The place seems to feed on their fears an insecurities – and these are people with all kinds of secrets. Doors don‘t stay closed and rooms are not always where you thought they were. Hallways sometimes have no exit. And there are voices.

I really enjoyed this. It is appropriately spooky, the characters do all the dumb things that people in horror stories do, but you really hope they are going to be able to save themselves.

The idea is that Mt. Rainier has erupted and the eruption has trapped people who live on its slopes and in the path of the eruption. It is also driving animals out of the forest, fleeing the lava and destruction – and that includes some predators we thought were urban legends.

Katie and her husband, Dan, have just moved to Greenloop – an eco-village on the slopes of Mount Rainier. It’s a small group of smart homes, everything computerized, groceries delivered by drone, living in harmony with nature and all that; honestly, the people are a little ridiculous. This means they are totally unprepared for having to take care of themselves after the eruption – none of the residents own a hammer or a shovel! When the Sasquatch begin checking out their little village, some of the residents are horrified at the idea of setting up some sort of defenses or harming the great apes. One man insists that apes are herbivores and naturally peaceful (clearly this man has never watched a nature documentary). But they are very, very wrong.

The story is told documentary style, with bits of Katie’s journal, interviews with park rangers and relatives, and background info from Sasquatch “scholars.”

While some of the townspeople are pretty useless, others find their fighting spirit. Eventually, the group has to band together to stay alive and prepare for the final showdown…

Absolutely loved it. Devoured it in two days (perfect Christmas reading ?). I loved World War Z when I read it, and now I have added The Zombie Survival Guide to the TBR pile. And I hope Jimmy is enjoying The Murderbot Diaries as much as I enjoyed this one.

Joaquin and Gabriel are teenage boys in Mexico, brought together by tragedy. They are riding with their respective parents when their cars crash into each other, killing both sets of parents and leaving the boys orphans. They spend time in the hospital together, forging a very special friendship. When they are taken in by family, they end up living in the same neighborhood, continuing that friendship through their love of music. Not just any music – they create soundscapes, recording the sounds of their neighborhood, all the strange, discordant sounds they can find in the city, layering them and mixing them with instruments into something that is not necessarily easy to listen to.

The friendship ends in a different sort of tragedy. Joaquin goes on to host a late-night radio show, Ghost Radio, where listeners call in and tell their ghost stories, their paranormal encounters. He works with his girlfriend, Alondra, and his long-time sound engineer, Watt. But sometimes, things get strange. Joaquin becomes convinced that his dead friend is trying to reach out to him through the radio waves. He is losing touch with reality. He is having hallucinations – or are they? He can’t trust his memory, as he learns that things he has always known may not be true. His friends are worried about him, and Joaquin begins to wonder if Gabriel wants to reconnect, or do him harm.

It’s a pretty cool premise and there are some great passages, really interesting sections, but in the end it becomes a bit of a muddled mess. There is a weird subplot about Toltec priests, a crazy run-in with TSA, and an ending that manages to be both abrupt and long overdue. (And really, it felt like we’d moved into urban legend territory and wandered into The Backrooms.)

I really wanted to like this one, but I couldn’t manage it. The plot stopped making sense and I just wanted to get through the last third of it.