Suspicion

Suspicion by Joseph Finder is a thriller from page one to the very end.

Single father Danny Goodman is a writer. He is working on a second book, but the advance he is living off of is about to run out. And his daughter's school is very expensive. He is about to tell her that she will not be able to go on the junior class trip, when another parent tells him it is taken care of.

Thomas Galvin is a very wealthy man. His daughter has never been as happy as she is now that she has a best friend. And Tom would give anything to keep her that way, so paying for her friend to go on the trip is no problem.

As Danny and Tom become friends, Tom gives Danny a loan to make sure school is paid for - a loan of 50,000 dollars. But the next day the DEA comes to talk to Danny. They say that he has accepted drug money and that if he does not help them in their case against Tom, he will go to prison for racketeering.

As Finder weaves the plot through twists and turns, Danny becomes more desperate to get away from the DEA who are putting his life in danger. His life is becoming more and more intertwined with the Galvins. Finder is a master of the thriller. His books will keep you up all night reading until the last page - and craving more.

Finder, Joseph. (2014). Suspicion. New York: Dutton.

Moon at Nine

Moon at Nine by Deborah Ellis is the story of two girls who fall in love in Iran in 1988 - based on the true story of one of the characters.

Fifteen year old Farrin lives in Terran. She has many secrets. In a society where people can be arrested by the Revolutionary Guard for saying anything that can even loosely be seen as anti-government, it is likely that there are things to keep hidden in every family. But Farrin's parents have parties celebrating the Shah and hoping for his return to power - acts that could have them executed.

Farrin goes to a school for academically talented girls. She has no friends and is watched by the student monitor who loves her role as a tattle-tale. Then one day at school, Farrin meets Sadira.

Farrin is instantly intrigued by Sadira. She cannot stop thinking about her. And as their friendship grows, they come to realize that they feel more than friendship toward each other - feeling that, if discovered, could lead to imprisonment or death.

Ellis has written a book based on the story of someone she knows. The story is true but names and dates have been changed to protect family members still living in Iran. She captures both the oppression and the hope of Iran after the revolution - and the desperation two young women feel within a society where they do not control their own lives.

Ellis, Deborah. (2014). Moon at Nine. Toronto: Pajama Press. 

Viral

Viral by James Lilliefors is a thriller featuring two brothers trying to stop a genocide in Africa. Charles Mallory is an ex-CIA spy who has discovered a plot to kill hundreds of thousands of people in Africa. His brother, Jon, is a reporter who Charles wants to be a witness to the atrocities and get the word out to the public.

Though Jon has not seen or heard from Charlie in years, they have been working together to write a series of stories about what is happening in the (made up) nation of Sundiata, Africa. Now Jon is to go and meet with a doctor who has been trying to treat the victims of a mysterious sickness that kills them in hours.

But Jon's increased involvement also makes him more visible. He must first survive the pandemic sweeping the country and then find his way to safety before he can post his story.

Working together from different sides, the Mallory brothers travel the world following clues as to what is really going on in Africa and who is behind it. Lilliefors has written a fast-paced thriller with a virus at the base but without the gore of previous book in the medical thriller genre.

Lilliefors, James. (2012). Viral. New York: Soho Crime.

The Red Wolf Conspiracy (Chathrand Voyage #1)

The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert V.S. Redick is the first book in his Chathrand Voyage series.

In a world divided between two powers, Arqual and Mzithrin, peace is being cemented by a marriage between nations. Tasha Isiq is to be married to a Mzithrin prince and will be traveling on the giant sailing ship Chathrand, the last of her kind. The Chathrand is an historic ship that will have one of many outcomes based on the different factions on the ship and their ideas about peace with Mzrithin.

Tasha Isiq has been away at school. It is a school with little comfort. The young women who graduate are usually married off to someone who will advance their family's status. Tasha has had enough of it. She is about to quit when she is told that her father is sending for her. She will not be amused to find out it is because she is to be wed to someone she has never met - whose language she doesn't even speak.

Pazel Pathkendle is an Ormaeli - one of the islands conquered in the last war. He is now a tarboy on a ship - practically an indentured servant. While his life is hard and there is much prejudice toward his people, he is looking forward to getting to see the legendary ship Chathrand. Through a series of obviously planned events, Pazel is left by his current ship and will end up working on the Chathrand.

Redick has created a fantasy series set in a complete world. His characters include many races and even species. If this first installment is any indication, this is going to be an epic fantasy series.

Redick, Robert. (2008). The Red Wolf Conspiracy. New York: DelRey.

Heaven's Queen (Paradox #3)

Heaven's Queen by Rachel Bach is the final book in her Paradox trilogy - a military science fiction series.

Devi Morris is an armored mercenary. She took a job working on the Glorious Fool because it was supposed to be a stepping stone to her dream job working in an elite army for the king of her world. Now she is floating in space in an escape pod with no way to get home and being chased not only by humans, but most of the other sentient beings in the known galaxies.

They are after for two reasons: there is an alien species attacking planets and she is one of the few people who can see them and may be able to defeat them, and because the plan she has could destroy human kind if it fails - so others are reluctant to let her try her idea.

The Paradox trilogy is a combination of military science fiction with a few other genre elements thrown in. The story is fast-paced and will keep readers engaged. There are also elements of romance and humor, a strong female lead character and a well-developed universe. Fun read!

Bach, Rachel. (2014). Heaven's Queen. New York: Orbit.

Invisible City (Rebekah Roberts #1)

Invisible City by Julia Dahl is the first book in her Rebekah Roberts mystery series about a New York journalist. Dahl has been a reporter and editor in print and television. This is her first novel.

Rebekah Roberts is a stringer for the New York Tribune and is sent wherever the paper needs a journalist in the five boroughs. Her latest assignment will be her most important story - one she will not let go after one day's reporting and will change the way she looks at her own story.

When the body of a woman is found in a Gowanus scrap yard, Roberts is there to report what she sees. But when the woman turns out to be Jewish, the police allow the Hasidic community to take the body. Roberts is sent into a world she has often wondered about but never visited. Her past and her current assignment collide while Roberts tries to find a killer the NYPD does not seem to want to find.

When Rebekah Roberts was very small, her mother left her father to return to the Orthodox community. Rebekah has been mad at the mother she does not remember, but this case could give her insight into why her mother left. Maybe as an adult she will be able to understand better why her mother abandoned her.

Combining a mystery with a great character, Dahl has started a series readers will devour. Her writing is excellent, her ability to describe an event or setting honed in years of award-winning journalism, and her plot is one that will draw fans of more than just mysteries. Invisible City is an excellent start to a series readers wait impatiently to continue.

Dahl, Julia. (2014). Invisible City. New York: Minotaur.

Changers: Drew (Changers #1)

Changers book one: Drew by T. Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper is the first book in a series that looks at gender roles in an interesting way.

It is almost time for Ethan Miller to start high school. He has just moved from New York to a small town in Tennessee. The reason his parent moved him will become clear on his first morning of high school.

Ethan is a Changer. Changers are an ancient human race that change into a different person four times during the ages of fourteen and eighteen. Doctrine states that Changers are the "last hope of the human race on the whole to reverse the moral devolution that has over come it." Living as four different people teaches them empathy.

But Ethan knows none of this until he wakes up for school and is a girl. After some understandable confusion, she is off to school as Drew. Changers are encouraged to participate fully and Drew tries her best to fit in with her new self - while remaining the same person on the inside.

Changers is an interesting look at our genders and the perceived roles that go along with them - nowhere more well illustrated than high school. T Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper have created a series that will allow readers to look at gender differently and possibly evolve along with the main character.

Cooper, T. and Allison Glock-Cooper. (2014). Drew. New York: Black Sheep.

Transhuman

Transhuman by Ben Bova is a medical science fiction novel that follows a man on his quest to cure his granddaughter of cancer.

Angela is only eight years old, but she is months away from dying from an inoperable brain tumor. Her grandfather, Luke Abramson, is a brilliant cellular biologist who cannot sit by and watch her die. When the hospital board will not approve the use of his untested cure, Luke signs Angela out of the hospital. He has outfitted an SUV as an ambulance and he plans to make his way across the country to a former student's lab where he is sure he can help Angela.


Being chased by the FBI, Dr. Abramson will get Angela help. Of course, being a 75 year old man, he is not in the best shape of his life. He plans to inject himself with a serum that has shown to reverse aging - in mice.

Bova has written a chase across the country within a race for a cure. Many people have a stake in the outcome of the race - either personally or politically - and Dr. Abramson will be changing lives, one way or another.

Bova, Ben. (2014). Transhuman. New York: Tor.

Acid

Acid (Agency for Crime Investigation and Defense) by Emma Pass is set in a future where a police force controls the government of Britain - now the Independent Republic of Britain.

Jenna Stone is in one of the most secure prisons in the IRB - Mileway Maximum Security. She has been there since she was convicted of killing her parents. She is surrounded by criminals who think they can take advantage of her because she is small. At seventeen her only friend - or the only person who is nice to her - is the prison doctor. He taught her how to defend herself. Now he is helping her more. She doesn't know why, but he is helping her escape.

There are groups at work against Acid, which is not an easy thing to organize in a land where you can be jailed for speaking against the government. Even just a casual comment that seems like a complaint will get the attention of the Acid agents.

Now Jenna is out of prison, living in disguise. But no one has told her why they got her out. Or what her role she will play in the attempt to overtake Acid.

Pass has created a dystopian novel with a strong female character. Her world is well-formed and readers will get lost in the fast-paced plot. Great read.

Pass, Emma. (2014). Acid. New York: Delacourte Press.

Music: Rogrigo y Gabriela

Rodrigo y Gabriela are an amazing duo of guitarists who will blow you away. If you don't see them live it is hard to believe there are only two musicians on stage.

With backgrounds in flamenco, jazz and rock - including being members of a metal band - Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero attract fans of all ages and musical preferences. They are both amazing musicians. Rodrigo uses the guitar in the traditional manner with skills that would rival the best of the best - even including some slide guitar. Gabriela, while playing a mean traditional guitar also uses the instrument to provide the percussion in the songs.

Go to their website or YouTube and watch one video - you will become a fan. Their latest album 9 Dead Alive came out this week. Previous albums include their self-titled Rodrigo y Gabriela (2006), 11:11 (2009), a collaboration with the 13-piece Cuban Orchestra on Area 52 (2012) and a few live albums from concerts in UK, Japan and France.

Taken with You (Kowalski #8)

Taken with You by Shannon Stacey is the eighth book in her Kowalski romance series.

Hailey Genest is the librarian in Witford, Maine. She loves her job, her house and her town, but she does wish she could find a guy to share her wonderful life with like all of her friends seem to be doing lately. The problem is that she has known most of the guys in town her whole life. If she hasn't found someone by now, she may be out of luck.

Matt Barnett is a game warden who is moving to Witford to help police the new ATV trails that lead all over the woods and into town - an expansion that is helping all of the local businesses including the Northern Star Lodge with came up with the idea. On his vacation before the move he just wants to spend time with his dad in the family cabin, but his ranger instincts kick in when he overhears two women who are lost in the woods.

Hailey would never in a million years guess that the unkempt mountain man who walked her and Tori back to their car is the clean shaven warden who is moving into the empty house next door. Of all of the embarrassing things that have happened to her in her life, why him. And they have already decided they are not right for each other based on their love/hate of the woods, but they may have to rethink that...

Stacey has created a wonderful series of romance novels featuring the Kowalski family and now expanding to their friends. Her books are fast reads that will keep your attention until after the last page.

Stacey, Shannon. (2014). Taken with You. New York: Carina Press.

Honor's Knight (Paradox #2)

Honor's Knight by Rachel Bach is the second book in her Paradox series of science fiction about a female mercenary.

Devi Morris is working as security on the spaceship Glorious Fool. But she is missing memories. She knows she was in a fight but she cannot remember with whom or why she would remove the helmet of her armor - which she know she did from the bruise and the memory loss. Luckily, she has retained all of her fighting skills.

Her first order of duty is to hire a new mercenary to replace the one who was killed in battle. Then she will hopefully get her memories back. Oh, she is also seeing little space bugs that seems to exist in a different dimension. She has not mentioned this to the ship doctor or captain.

Even with her memories gone, Devi is sure that the captain is more than he appears. The is no other explanation for how much trouble he seems to find. And she better remember quickly because there are some out there who see her as a threat and she will need all of the information to survive their attention.

Bach has created a genre blend of science fiction with a great lead character. If you are not a usual science fiction reader, this is a good series with which to begin.

Bach, Rachel. (2014). Honor's Knight. New York: Orbit.

The Chase (Fox and O'Hare #2)

The Chase by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg is the second book in their Fox and O"Hare series about a an FBI agent working with a world class thief to recover stolen art.

After chasing him for years, Kate O'Hare is now forced to work with Nick Fox, but to everyone other than her boss and the head of the FBI it still looks like she is chasing him.

Their latest assignment is to break into the Smithsonian and replace a fake Chinese rooster with the real one - after they steal the real one from the ex-White House chief of staff, now the owner of one of the world's most ruthless private security forces. Of course, once he knows it is stolen, the entire BlackRhino army will be after Fox and O'Hare.

Evanovich and Goldberg have created two wonderful characters who fans will follow through any future capers. This is a fun heist series.

Evanovich, Janet and Lee Goldberg. (2014). The Chase. New York: Bantam Books.

The Chance (Thunder Point #4)

The Chance by Robyn Carr is the fourth book in her Thunder Point series, a romance series that takes place in a small town on the Oregon coast.

Laine Carrington is on leave from the FBI after an undercover assignment that left her with a bullet in her shoulder. Now she is taking time to recover and decide if she wants to continue to be an agent or find a new career. She has heard a lot about Thunder Point from a woman she met while on her last assignment - a woman whose daughter she rescued.

Eric Gentry is also knew to Thunder Point. He spent some time in town in high school and now, seventeen years later, he had just learned he has a daughter. He sold his body shop and bought the gas station in town to create a new auto body shop and get to know his teen age daughter.

When they run into each other at the local diner, Laine and Eric are instantly drawn to each other. 

Carr's series is fun to read and filled with characters that readers will want to befriend. Start at the beginning to fall in love with the whole town.

Carr, Robyn. (2014). The Chance. New York: HQN.

The Ship and the Storm

The Ship and the Storm: Hurricane Mitch and the Loss of the Fantome by Jim Carrier is the story of a category 5 hurricane that destroyed much of the Caribbean in 1998.

The Windjammer Barefoot Cruise ship Fantome was a popular sailing ship in the eastern Caribbean run by a charismatic captain. Many of the passengers became Windjammer fans for life and booked multiple cruises on the 1927 tall ship.

In many ways this book is an update in weather science and knowledge from the book Isaac's Storm which tells of a hurricane that hit Galveston, Texas in 1900. And in spite of 100 years of progress, determining the course and strength of a tropical storm is still not exact.

The unpredictable nature of Mitch combined with a fairly trapped position for a ship of its size caught the Fantome in a terrible position with nowhere to shelter. Trying to run from the storm to open sea, but being followed by the storm resulted in the loss of the ship and all 31 crew when the eye of Mitch hovered over the island of Guanaja for 27 hours.

Carrier wrote an easily readable narrative nonfiction book filled with both personal accounts and science of weather. Anyone who has lived where hurricanes flourish would relate to the tales in this book. And weather nerds will love it.

Carrier, Jim. (2001). The Ship and the Storm. New York: Harvest Books.

Fortune's Pawn (Paradox #1)

Fortune's Pawn by Rachel Bach is the first book in her Paradox science fiction series.


Devi Morris is a soldier. She served her mandatory two years in the Paradoxian army in the Royal Armored Guard. Then she went on the the prestigious Blackbirds. She has reached the highest rank a mercenary can achieve before being moved to a desk. So he just quit. Devi's goal is to become on of the Sacred King's Devastators. But you cannot join or apply to the Devastators. You must be recruited.

A friend steers Devi toward the ship Glorious Fool owned by Captain Caldswell. It is a merchant ship that seems to find all of the trouble in the 'verse. Past security on the ship has become Devastators. So Devi applies and becomes one of two mercenaries responsible for ship safety, joining an eclectic crew of humans and other creates of the known universe.

Bach has created a believable world with colorful creatures that reminds some readers of Firefly with more aliens. A simple transport ship that seems held together with duct tape, a cook who has strange fighting abilities, a giant bird for a navigator, a lizard for a doctor, and a main character who could rival Ripley from Alien. This is a great sci-fi series. I am waiting impatiently for the second book from the library.

Bach, Rachel. (2013). Fortune's Pawn. New York: Orbit.

Deathsworn (Deathsworn #1)

Deathsworn by Leah Cypress is the first book in her Deathsworn series featuring a sorceress who is losing her powers and is sent to be the new magic teacher for the assassins.

Ileni is a Renegai sorceress. She was thought to be one of the strongest magicians ever, but her magic is starting to fade. With all of the skill in the world, no magic means no spells. The Elders have decided to send her to the Assassin's Caves to teach magic. The last two Renegai sorcerers who were sent were killed.

While Ileni is scared to meet the Assassins - her people are taught to fear the young men who only leave their mountain cave to murder - she is resigned to her fate and doesn't really want to face a life without magic.

Sorin is one of the best Assassins. He is still young, but the life expectancy for an assassin is low. He has been assigned by the Master of Assassins to keep Ileni safe while she is in the caves. Sorin does not question the master, he just obeys. He knows that the master has a plan. It is the goal of the Assassins to take down the Empire with strategic assassinations.

The world in Deathsworn reminds me of the world in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In both the world is divided between two groups of people - those who steal magic from others and those who would never do black magic. This book also has the group of assassin, but the worlds are complementary I recommend reading bot series.

Cypess, Leah. (2014). Deathsworn. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Do or Die (Reluctant Heroes #1)

Do or Die by Suzanne Brockmann is the first book in her Reluctant Heroes series, a spin-off of her Troubleshooters series.

Ian Dunn is an ex-Navy SEAL who is in jail for a bar brawl when a lawyer he has never seen, Martel Griffin, tells him he has a get-out-of-jail-(almost)-free card. Another lawyer he has never meet says she is his lawyer and thinks he should take the deal. Time served if he helps rescue two children kidnapped and being held in a foreign embassy. The government cannot send in anyone associated with the US government, but by being thought of as a rogue Dunn can be used.

Dunn is in jail for a reason. He made a deal to keep his brother and his family safe from the Dellarosa family who runs Miami. And Manny Dellarosa will not know why Dunn is out, just that he is - which will likely make him believe that Dunn traded information for release.

Phoebe Kruger, Dunn's new lawyer, just inherited his case. She thinks Dunn is a jewel thief but there was never enough evidence to convict him. Now she is confused as to why he would not take a deal that ends with his freedom.

Now Dunn, Kruger and Martel have joined forces both to rescue the kidnapped children, but to deal with the fallout from the Dellarosa family. Brockmann is a master in her field. Her characters are people you would want to know. Her plots are twisty and wonderful. And her romance is steamy. She is a must read author for anyone who loves a well-crafted story.

Brockmann, Suzanne. (2014). Do or Die. New York: Ballantine Books.

Torn

Torn by Amber Lehman is a novel of one girl's move from a private Catholic high school in the Midwest to a public school in southern California and how that move changes her.

Krista McKinley is moving to live with her older brother. Her goal is to make at least one friend at her new school. And right away she meets Carrie in her dance class. Carrie is apparently dating Brandon, at least they are all over each other near the lockers. Quite a change from an all-girls Catholic school.

But Brandon is not dating Carrie. They are great friends, but Brandon is gay. At first this is a shock to Krista, but as she spends time with them she really grows to like Brandon and Carrie and their friend Ryan. Through out the school year the four friends will become close and experience many things together.

Lehman has written a young adult novel that explores the fluidity of sexuality. While a couple of the characters label themselves early in the book, only one sticks to that label for the duration of the story. It is an interesting book that will engage readers but fails to make a statement about GLBTQ issues.

Lehman, Amber. (2010). Torn. New York: Closet Case Books.

Hild (Light of the World #1)

Hild by Nicola Griffith is the first book in her Light of the World trilogy about Saint Hild of Whitby who played a large role in Brittan in the Middle Ages.

Readers are introduced to Hild as a young child. Her mother had a dream that said Hild would the Light of the World, a seer for her king. Her uncle, king Edward of Northunbria, heeds this prophecy and uses Hild to help plan attacks on other kingdoms.

Hild is a bright child who can see the patterns in things and often comes to conclusions before they are obvious to others. She has visions and sees omens that guide her advice. One of the patters she sees is that Christianity is coming to Brittan. It will be a major force in the politics as some convert and others resist.

Volume one of the trilogy sees Hild into adulthood. She is a strong character, more so for a woman of her time period. She is surrounded by characters that are brought to life by the magic of Griffith's words. 

Based on historical research and using real people from history as characters, Griffith has created a novel of Brittan in the 600s - a time of many kings, knights, superstition, and political intrigue. Hild reads like an epic fantasy (as many of them are set in a Middle Ages-like worlds) and shows life in the seventh century. The beginning of the book is a steep learning curve of names, different languages, and some confusion, but it is worth the time to read through the beginning to an amazing story. Hild is as much a legend as Joan of Arc, though less well known. Griffith brings her alive and makes readers care about her and the people around her.

Griffith, Nicola. (2013). Hild. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

About a Girl

About a Girl by Joanne Horniman is the story of Anna McGuire.

Anna grew up in Canberra (Australia) but moved to the artist community of Lismore for a fresh start after college did not work out. Now she works at a bookstore. One night she sees a local singer who she cannot get out of her head. When she sees her again at a coffee shop, they decided to meet again.

Anna was never one to have a large group of friends. There are things in her past that she has worked through but have changed her and Flynn is her first new friend in Lismore. But Flynn also has things in her past that she is not ready to talk about other than through her music. Anna and Flynn start a tentative relationship - tentative because Anna is not used to making friends, especially with someone to whom she is greatly attracted.

Horniman's novel captures a tender time in Anna's life when she learns a lot about herself and starts to open up to people for the first time. About a Girl is a beautiful book.

Horniman, Joanne. (2010). About a Girl. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen and Unwin.

The Night Counter

The Night Counter by Alia Yunis is the story of one family in America - lead by a strong-willed 85 year old mother of ten and grandmother of fourteen. Each night for 1001 nights, since she arrived in Los Angeles to stay with her grandson Amir, Fatima Abdullah has been visited by Scheherazade. And after 1001 nights there time together will end forever.

Fatima, knowing that after ten more nights she will die, must get her family in order. She has children and grandchildren who need to be married, treasures to sort and decide what she will leave to whom - including her house in Deir Zeitoon, Lebanon. And as she tells Scheherazade of her family members, Scheherazade flies around the country and world to visit them giving readers a glimpse of their lives.

Filled with stories of love, family, humor and destiny, The Night Counter is the tale of how different members of one family react to and change from the stories of their lives. It is an epic tale told over the last few nights in a woman's life.

Yunis, Alia. (2009). The Night Counter. New York: Three Rivers Press.

Love a Little Sideways (Kowalski #7)

Love a Little Sideways by Shannon Stacey is the seventh book in her Kowalski family romance series.

Liz Kowalski has lived in New Mexico for years, but after visiting her family in Maine for her brother's wedding, she started to feel like moving home. There was really nothing keeping her in the Southwest since she broke up with her boyfriend of fifteen years. So she has packed everything she owns into her car and is driving home.

How embarrassing that as soon as she hit the town of Whitford, she also hit a tree. Now the police are on their way to help her with her car - and she is just hoping it is not Chief Drew Miller because the last time she was in town they sneaked away from a wedding to have sex.

Chief Miller is surprised to arrive at a traffic accident and see Liz Kowalski. After spending the afternoon with Liz months ago in what they both assumed was just a rebound, Drew has not been able to get his best friend's little sister out of his head. And even though they are adults, there is a code about dating your best friend's sister.

Shannon has given fans a treat with this installation in her series by revisiting the family camping trip that we read about in her first book in the Kowalski family series. The entire family has decided to make the camping trip a reunion by having the cousins in Maine join those from Massachusetts for a week. And Drew is invited because of his father...

Stacey, Shannon. (2013). Love a Little Sideways. New York: HQN.