Black Blade Blues (Sarah Beauhall #1)

Black Blade Blues by J.A. Pitts is the first book in the Sarah Beauhall trilogy. Sarah is a smith who lives in Seattle. During the day she works the forge and at night she works for a low budget movie as prop manager.

Sarah has loaned her favorite sword to the movie - a black blade she got at an auction. When the annoying main actor swings the sword and does not pull up, but hits the edge of the stage, it shatters.

As a smith, Sarah will be able to fix the sword, but it will not be easy. And she wants to do it right. One of the movie extras (who claims to be a dwarf) wants to watch. He says the sword is old and was not properly repaired or it would not have broken.

When Sarah fixes the sword things begin to happen. With the power of the sword restored, dragons can feel its power. A world Sarah never knew existed is taking notice of her.

Some of her friends in her medieval re-enactment group, including her girlfriend Katie, believe that the stories told as mythology are true. They are ready to help Sarah in the coming battle.

Pitts has created a fascinating world within our own. Sarah is a great, but flawed, character who is trying to overcome a childhood of brainwashing and learn to be happy in her life and with her girlfriend. This is a great book for fangirls everywhere.

Pitts, J.A. (2010). Black Blade Blues. New York: Tor Books.

Borderline (Nevada Barr #15)

Borderline by Nevada Barr is the fifteenth book in her Anna Pigeon mystery / suspense / adventure series which follows a National Parks ranger on her assignments in some of the most beautiful places in the United States.

After a harrowing experience, Anna is taking a little time off to recover. She and her new husband, Paul, are going on a rafting trip on the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park. It will be a few days on the river with strangers where Anna will not be in any type of leadership role.

Joining four college students and a river guide, Anna is getting used to people again. She is working through PTSD after an attack and is finding it refreshing to be around young people.

Due to some rain upriver, the water levels rise and the rapid around a previous rock slide become more intense - leading to the raft wrapping around a rock and dumping everyone out.

Once on the shore, looking for their gear and each other, one of the college student screams. The body of a woman is tangled in some branches. She appears to be dead. Forming a human chain, Anna reaches her and tries to free her, only to discover that the woman is alive and very pregnant.

Barr's books about Anna Pigeon make up one of my favorite series. Each setting plays a role in the story. The recurring characters - Anna and now Paul - are great people I would love to befriend. If you like mystery, suspense or the great outdoors read these books!

Barr, Nevada. (2009). Borderline. New York: G.P.Putnam's Sons.

Innocent Hearts (Prairie Romance #1)

Innocent Hearts by Radclyffe is an historical romance that takes place in New Hope, Montana Territory in 1860.

Kate Beecher's parents are moving from Boston to the Montana Territory. Her father is a newspaper man and has been invited by a friend to join him to grow the newspaper office. Since Kate is eighteen, her parents give her the choice of joining them or staying in Boston. Kate joins them. She sees the move as an adventure. Plus, she is not interested in any of the young men who have been coming by since her debut.

After a difficult couple of months, the Beechers arrive in New Hope - a town nestled in a valley in Montana just before the Continental Divide. Kate is charmed by the town and feels that the relaxed social rules of dress and gender roles to be an improvement over stuffy Boston.

Jessie Forbes is a local rancher. She was going to be sent back East for schooling when her father died. She took over the ranch and continues to produce some of the best horses West of the Mississippi. Everyone in the town of New Hope is used to seeing Jessie in her men's clothing and thinks nothing of it. But for Kate, the first man who peaks her interest -a dusty cowboy bringing a herd of horses to town for the round up - turns out to be Jessie.

Radclyffe has written a beautiful story of love and discovery. Neither of the women have ever considered that they could be attracted to another woman - only that they had never been very attracted to any man they met. Innocent Hearts is a wonderful western / historical romance novel.

Radclyffe. (2002). Innocent Hearts. Valley Falls, NY: Bold Strokes Books.

The Renegade

The Renegade by Amy Dunne is a post-plague dystopian novel.

The Red Death has been killing millions of people. Alex is the last in her family who is not sick. Before he became ill, her father trained her in how to survive - including getting her the best equipment and teaching her how to shoot.

No Alex is on the move, trying to avoid people like her father recommended. But when going through a city she hears voices and gets caught. After getting out of a dangerous situation, she has gained a dog. She didn't realize how lonely she was until she met Paddy.

When an infection knocks her out, she come is nursed back to health by Murphy. She is, at first, afraid that he will be like the men in the city but Murphy is a good guy. Once settled, they travel well together.

Other survivors are living at an abandoned Army camp. It has been named Rapture's Haven and is run by a cult leader, Elijah, who has set back the women's rights movement to the stone age. Once people are found and taken to camp they remain there. Evelyn Bennett is the camp's doctor. As such, you would think she had some say because of her expertise, but that is not the case.

When Alex is brought to camp, she and Evelyn are drawn to each other. But in a camp where the doctrine is procreation, it is a dangerous attraction.

Dunne has written a novel with the feel of McCarthy's The Road, but from the point of view of a single, queer woman traveling alone.

Dunne, Amy. (2015). The Renegade. Valley Falls, NY: Bold Strokes Books.

Winter Study (Anna Pigeon #14)

Winter Study by Nevada Barr is the fourteenth book in her Anna Pigeon series, a ranger in the US National Parks. Each mystery takes place in a different park.

On loan from her current posting, Anna Pigeon is going back to Isle Royale National Park located on an island in Lake Superior between Minnesota and Ontario. Isle Royale is closed to the public for the winter when a fifty-year plus study is being conducted on wolves and moose on the island. Anna is going to learn more about wolves, as a pack has been reintroduced to her park, Rocky Mountain NP.

With the new government focus on terrorism, a representative from Homeland Security is also joining the team - to evaluate whether the remote park could be used by people trying to sneak across the border. Depending on his report, the wolf study could end and the park opened up to winter visitors.

Anna arrives to a winter wonderland on an island you can only be flown into - when weather permits. The scientists there can be trapped for weeks without a supply run if the cloud cover does not cooperate. Due to the Homeland Security man and his research assistant, the team has a strange dynamic.

A few days later, the research assistant goes missing. Alone on the island with no electricity in a frozen land, the team must find her. And when they do, Anna's background in investigation will compel her to find out what happened.

Barr's series featuring Anna Pigeon is wonderful for both mystery fans and those who love the outdoors. The setting always plays a part in the story. Anna Pigeon is someone you would want on your side in the great outdoors.

Barr, Nevada. (2008). Winter Study. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Salvage (Salvage #1)

Salvage by Alexandra Duncan is a science fiction book about a young woman in a male dominated society.

Ava was born on the ship Parastrata. Most people from the ship never leave the ship - unless they are a high rank or part of a boarding party - and few ever visit Earth. The Parastrata culture is one of men. The women are there to work and have babies.

Ava has always been interested in figures and how things work, but women do not work as fixies. They are not even taught to read. And as the captain's eldest daughter, she is to be married to someone from another ship.

When they travel to the Aether ship for her marriage - Ava is sure she is to be wed to Luck, a boy she met when he and his sister visited her ship years ago. But the night before the official announcement, Ava breaks a rule. A rule so rigid that she will likely be sent to the Void.

With the help of an ally, Ava escapes to Earth. She knows she has an aunt in Mumbai - but she doesn't know where that is, or even how to read. She will have many obstacles to overcome to make a life for herself planetside.

Duncan has written a book of one young woman overcoming great odds. Ava is a formidable character placed in a world that is against her in this interesting science fiction story.

Duncan, Alexandra. (2014). Salvage. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Reasonable Doubt

Reasonable Doubt by Carson Taite follows an investigation into a potential person of interest after a terrorist attack.

Ellery Durant is a former criminal defense attorney. She left the law a few months ago and now spends her time making furniture. She does not miss the life she had. And her furniture is starting to be noticed in the Dallas art/design scene.

Sarah Flores is changing departments in the FBI. She has had enough of the Behavioral Analysis Unit and the serial killers she helped catch. She is moving to Dallas to work in the fraud department. She will not only have a less gruesome job, but she will have time for a social life.


A few days after meeting by chance in the courthouse, Ellery and Sarah are both at a fund raiser when a bomb goes off in the sports stadium near by. While most people run away from the chaos, both Sarah and Ellery run to see if they can help. It is a sight that reminds Sarah why she changed positions and one that leaves Ellery haunted with nightmares.

After a few frustrating days where most agents in the FBI are looking for suspects in the bombing, someone finds a paper trail that points to a potential lead. Search warrants are issued - one of them to search the former law office of a Ellery Durant. While Sarah is sure there must be a mistake, she finds her job once again interfering with a potential social life.

Taite has written an FBI / legal romance with two great characters. I will be reading all of her other books.

Taite, Carson. (2015). Reasonable Doubt. Valley Falls, NY: Bold Strokes Books.

Improvisation

Improvisation by Karis Walsh is the story of two women who are not ready to fall in love.

Tina has agreed to move to Spokane, Washington for a couple of months to help her cousin create a website for his garden store. She doesn't get along with her family and has not seen any of them in years, but she feels obligated to help out.

Jan has settled in Spokane after a lifetime of moving around. She teaches geometry in a high school and loves her job. She would love to find a partner, but now is not the right time. Her father was just diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

A mutual friend makes Tina and Jan promise to get together. Jan thinks Tina is a player who is shallow and unreliable. Tina thinks Jan is looking to trap a woman into settling down. So when they get together, they both bring a friend as a buffer.

Walsh has written a flirtatious romance between two women who think they have nothing in common. Her books are good, fast reads with steamy parts.

Walsh, Karis. (2013). Improvisation. Valley Falls, NY: Bold Strokes Books.

Wholehearted

Wholehearted by Ronica Black is a story of healing.

Madison Clark owns H&S Ranch in Arizona. She set up the ranch for two purposes: to rescue horses who have been abused or abandoned, and to help troubled teen boys heal through helping to care for the injured horses. Over the years she had has success with both groups.

Grace Hollings is a lawyer. Her whole focus was on her career until six months ago. Her sister lost custody of her son, Jake, and Grace has temporary custody. Her sister has had drug problems off an on for years, but at the end it seems like Jake was raising himself - until child protective services stepped in.

Now Jake is in trouble. He has been skipping school and stealing. When he is assigned to work on a ranch instead of going to juvie, Grace is revealed. Until she realizes she has to drive him into the middle of nowhere every morning by 6:45 and pick him up at 4:00. But she loves Jake and will do what she can to help him.

From before they meet in person, Grace and Madison don't like each other. They each find the other rude and inflexible. But there is something (other than Jake) that keep pulling them together.

Black has written a great romance novel around the theme of healing. Both of her main characters are self-sufficient, strong women who feel real.

Black, Ronica. (2012). Wholehearted. Valley Falls, NY: Bold Strokes Books.

Seneca Falls

Seneca Falls by Jesse Thoma is a story of healing and finding love.

Seneca King goes to Sophia College, an Ivy League women's school in New England. She is on scholarship and works three jobs. She has a reputation around campus and at the local lesbian bar - she is aloof and gorgeous. She never goes home with the same woman.

Her roommate, Britt, knows her a little better than everyone else, but still not well. Britt is her fifth roommate and only friend until she meets Kate. Kate Smith is the new athletic trainer. And she offers Seneca a job - one job to replace the three. Seneca jumps at the chance.

Seneca also meets Dylan. Dylan is a senior who spent her last year studying abroad. When she returned she felt disconnected from her old friends. She wants someone who knows more about the world outside of campus.

Seneca's past is a block that could get in the way of her relationship with Dylan. She hasn't told anyone at school what happened to her. Only Kate knows that Seneca's limp is from a gunshot wound.

Thoma has written a great story of redemption and healing. Her characters are real and compelling. This is the third book of hers I have read recently and I have thoroughly enjoyed each one.

Thoma, Jesse. (2015). Seneca Falls. Valley Falls, NY: Bold Strokes Books.

Femme

Femme by Mette Bach is a coming of age story.

Sofie is a bad student. She sometimes thinks she should try harder but is easily convinced by her boyfriend to blow off studying to hang out.

Then her English teacher decided everyone was going to work in pairs. Now her work will affect the grade of another student - a really good student.

Clea is a good student, athlete and the president of the Gay-Straight-Alliance at school. . She has plans to get a scholarship to college and get out of Vancouver.

As Sofie gets to know Clea she begins to try harder. She is starting to think she is smarter than she gave herself credit for in the past.

When Sofie joins Clea for a weekend road trip to check out colleges in Portland, Oregon, her feelings begin to change.

Bach has written a sweet HiLo lesbian novel. (HiLo- High interest, Low reading level)

Bach, Mette. (2015). Femme. Toronto: James Lorimer & Co.

Destroyer Angel (Anna Pigeon #18)

Destroyer Angel by Nevada Barr is the eighteenth book in the Anna Pigeon series. Anna is a park ranger in the US national parks. She has been assigned all over the place during her career (each book takes place in a different park).

Anna is joining friends camping in the North Woods of the Iron Range in Minnesota. Heath is a paraplegic and former rock climber who is testing equipment that will help make her time outdoors more enjoyable and give her more freedom of movement. Heath's daughter, Elizabeth is with her. Leah, the designer of an outdoor wheelchair and a canoe for paras is joined by her daughter Katie.

On their second night in the woods, Anna goes for a solo canoe float down the river. While she is away four men surround the camp. They are there to kidnap Leah and Katie. Some fast thinking prevents them from killing Heath and Elizabeth. Soon the four women are tied up and being marched out.

Anna hears them before she stumbles upon them and then uses her knowledge of the outdoors to track them, waiting for an opportunity to help.

Barr is a master storyteller. Her character, Anna Pigeon, is the person you want on your side in any situation - she could rival Jack Reacher in her usefulness. These books are awesome. If you have not yet started the Anna Pigeon books, you can start at book one: Track the Cat or at The Rope, a flashback to her first case as a ranger. Either way - read this series!

Barr, Nevada. (2014). Destroyer Angel. New York: St. Martin's Press.

Murder in the Mystery Suite (Book Retreat Mysteries #1)

Murder in the Mystery Suite by Ellery Adams is the first book in her Book Retreat Mysteries which take place at a hotel for people who love books.

Storyton Hall in Storyton, Virginia is a book lover's paradise. Jane Stewart runs the hotel in a manor house her ancestor moved from England and had rebuilt in the country. The inn has a huge library and employs a librarian among the large staff. But maintaining a huge property is expensive and if Jane doesn't increase the number of guests she will never catch up with repairs.

That is why Jane has created the Murder and Mayhem Week - a retreat with a scavenger hunt and mystery themed games and activities - with a first edition book by a popular mystery author as the prize.

Murder in the Mystery Suite is a great book for people who love to read mysteries and are well read. There are numerous references to popular mystery authors and storytellers. The town and inn are filled with quirky characters who would fit in well in Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls.

Adams, Ellery. (2014). Murder in the Mystery Suite. New York: Berkeley Prime Crime.

Desert Dark

Desert Dark by Sonja Stone is about a school that trains teens to work in the field of black ops for the CIA.

Nadia Riley is having a terrible time at the beginning of her junior year. Her best friend hooked up with her boyfriend. And her math teacher accused her of cheating - until she does another test in front of him. Now she is short on friends and just wants to disappear. But be careful what you wish for...

A man shows up at her house with an opportunity. There is a hidden test within the PSAT - sixty questions that test the way you think. The average student gets one or two right. Students who get recruited to the Desert Mountain Academy - a government funded private school - usually get about 20. Nadia Riley got them all right.

Nadia is assigned to a team that is already at school. She has some catching up to do. She will have to fit in with three different students to form a team that can work together and protect each other during the survival tests. Her team is Libby (her roommate), Damon and Alan with a team leader, Jack.

Along with trying to catch up and fit in, Nadia will be caught up in the rumor of a double agent at the school. The whole reason Nadia got to join the school is because the girl she is replacing was killed.

Stone's debut novel is a fast-paced, thrilling story filled with espionage, martial arts and puzzles. This is a great read!

Stone, Sonja. (2016). Desert Dark. New York: Holiday House.

The Chase (Holt Lasher #1)

The Chase by Jesse J Thoma is the first book in the Holt Lasher series. Holt is a skip tracer who is known around the Providence, Rhode Island area as someone not to mess with.

Holt is chasing a kid she has caught before. Peanut is always in trouble for misdemeanor crimes and never seems to make it to court. Even though Holt always catches him, he is running.

After a chase through two neighborhoods and over too many tall fences, Holt catches him in someone's backyard - just in time for Peanut to tackle her into the pool - saving her from the shotgun blast that just came over the fence.

Isabelle Rochat, a CPA, is upset that someone chased a criminal into her backyard and brought danger into her life. But Holt is convinced that the shot was meant for Isabelle.

Holt assigns her crew to watch Isabelle until she can convince her she is in danger and can help get her out.

Thoma has created a kickass super hero in Holt Lasher. Her books are fast reads that will pull reader in and not let go.

Thoma, Jesse. (2013). The Chase. Valley Falls, NY: Bold Strokes Books.

On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington #1)

On Basilisk Station by David Weber is the first book in the Honor Harrington series -  a military science fiction series featuring a tough ship's captain in the Manticore navy.

Honor has been given a new ship with her promotion. While she is getting used to her crew - and they to her - they will participate in war games to check the readiness of the fleet. Honor's ship, the HMS Fearless, has been retrofitted with the latest weapon (at the cost of many other useful weapons).

After the first round of games, when she and her crew surprised the enemy and won, the Fearless has been blasted every time. In response, the higher up who had the weapon installed, has assigned Honor and her new crew to the least desirable post in Manticoran space - Basilisk Station.

Basilisk Station is one of the newer parts of Manitcoran space. Manticore is against colonization - even though Basilisk is a valuable portal that saves months of travel time there is political opposition to being there. The post has many detailed rules about what is to be supervised, but historically not much has been done.

When Honor arrives, she finds out that the commander in charge of the station is her least favorite person in all of space. And he has a grudge against her. In order to set her up for failure, he puts her in charge while he takes his ship home for repairs. But anyone who knows Honor knows she will find a way to complete her assignment.

Weber has created a great science fiction series peopled with humans who have evolved with the colonization of different planets. This is a brilliant start to a political, military science fiction series. (Since it is not new you may have trouble finding it in your library. You can buy used copies at www.abebooks.com)

Weber, David. (1993). On Basilisk Station. New York: Baen Books.

Pedal to the Metal (Holt Lasher #2)

Pedal to the Metal by Jesse Thoma is the second book in her Holt Lasher series. Lasher has a bounty hunter agency and a reputation in Providence, Rhode Island for getting the job done.

Max Winter has worked for Holt for a while but has never in the field. Max is a computer expert and usually does her work from the office, but Holt is moving her to the field for their next case.

Car thefts have skyrocketed in Providence and Holt has been asked to investigate. The police have found no evidence about who is behind the increase. In order to gain an inside edge, Whitney Williams - who goes by Dubs - will be released early from prison to assist. Dubs is one of the best car thieves on the East coast.

While Dubs is helping out she is still a flight risk, with Holt on the line, so she will be handcuffed to Max for the duration of the case or unless she proves trustworthy.

Thoma's has written a high adrenaline suspense novel and created a kick ass character in Holt Lasher.

Thoma, Jesse. (2015). Pedal to the Metal. Valley Falls, NY: Bold Strokes Books.

The Art of Being Normal

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson is the story of two students who

David Piper is an outsider. He has two good friends and not many others. The popular kids have picked on him for years. His parents think he is gay and keep hinting that it is okay. But he is not gay. He was born into the wrong body. He is a girl trapped inside a boy.

Leo Denton is new to Eden Park School. He transferred from the rough school in town. Rumor has it that he got kicked out for cutting off the finger of a teacher. But the truth is that he transferred for a chance to have a better life and a shot at university.

David wants Leo to join him and his friends Zoe and Felix for lunch, but Leo is convinced that it is better to be invisible and not have any friends. He wants to keep his secrets to his self. But David is persistent and so is a beautiful girl that Leo has trouble ignoring.

Williamson has written a sensitive and compelling novel about a transgender teen and the struggle to get others to see you as you see yourself.

Available in May 2016 in the US.

Williamson, Lisa. (2016). The Art of Being Normal. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

Frozen Tides (Falling Kingdoms #4)

Frozen Tides by Morgan Rhodes is the fourth book in her Falling Kingdoms fantasy series.

The land of Mythica, divided into three kingdoms has been united under King Gaius Damora of Limeros. And now that Gaius controls all of Mythica, he is setting sail for the Empire of Kraeshia to seek an alliance with the Emperor.

His son, Prince Magnus and his new wife, the conquered Princess Cleo of Auranos, are working toward an uneasy truce - both in their marriage and in their rule. They agree that as much as they annoy each other, the real enemy is King Gaius.

Rebel leader Jonas Agallon and his few remaining rebels are on the run, with their faces plastered on wanted posters throughout the land.

The real test of who holds power will not be decided in politics, it will be who finds and controls the Kindred - four stones containing elemental magic. In the race for power, and in some cases justice, Rhodes is continuing to write a fascinating series. Each book looks deeper into the land of Mythica and its people and readers will devour this book and wait impatiently for the next.

Rhodes, Morgan. (2015). Frozen Tides. New York: Razor Bill.

Zeroboxer

Zeroboxer by Fonda Lee is a novel about a whole other level of mixed martial arts fighting - fights in a glass cube in zero gravity.

Carr Luka has been training most of his life to be a professional zeroboxer. Now he is one of the youngest ever to fight for ZGFA (Zero Gravity Fight Association) on Valtego - the floating city-station on the dark side of the moon.

When Carr wins a couple of key fights ZGFA decides to make him the face of zeroboxing - always more popular with Martians than Terrans. They assign Carr a brandhelm to oversee his public image. His brandhelm is Risha Ponn - a genetically engineered Martian colonist.

With Risha's help, Carr becomes more and more popular, becoming a hero on Earth, the planet that has fallen into the background of the more advanced settlements in space. But when Carr finds out a shocking secret all will be at risk - his career and his heart.

Lee has created a gripping novel that will thrill fans of sports and science fiction alike. Her world building and characters are completely drawn and will keep readers engaged until the last punch.

Lee, Fonda. (2015). Zeroboxer. Woodbury, MN: Flux.

Salt to the Sea

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys is a heartbreaking story of refugees at the end of World War II.

In the Winter of 1945, with the Russian army marching into Poland and Prussia, Germany set up Operation Hannibal - the largest sea evacuation in history. Using dozens of ships, the plan was to move soldiers, civilians, and wounded across the Baltic into Germany and away from the fighting.

Joana is a Lihuanian nurse. She is traveling with a rag tag group of people fleeing toward the ports. She is with a shoe maker, a wandering young boy, a pessimistic large woman and a blind girl.  They have been making their way to the sea but trying to avoid the main roads.

Florian is on a secret mission. He wants no attachment but cannot help himself when he sees a Russian soldier attack a young woman. After he kills the soldier, Emilia thinks of him as the knight and keeps following them.

Emilia and Florian meet up with Joana and her group. After some grumbling, including the fact that Emilia is Polish, they travel together.

Alfred is in the German Navy. He is newly a member of the Nazi party as health concerns kept him out of the Hitler Youth. But now he is ready to help the Fuhrer in the evacuation plan. He will be assigned to a ship soon.

Told through the four viewpoints, Sepetys tells the story of refugees and the story of the ship the Wilhelm Gustloff - the worst tragedy ever at sea, much worse that the Titanic or Lusitania. The Wilhelm Gusloff disaster killed over 9,000 people. Sepetys tells of this little know incident with the stories of four people on board and she does it brilliantly. Salt to the Sea is an amazing book.

When is comes out on February 2, 2015 buy a copy.

Sepetys, Ruta. (2016). Salt to the Sea. New York: Philomel.

Truthwitch (Witchlands #1)

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard is the first book in her Witchlands series set in a world ruled by three empires that have been at war for centuries and are now almost to the end of a twenty year truce.

Safiya and Iseult are Threadsisters, their fates and emotions tied together through an earlier act that sealed their friendship. Now they do everything together - even though they are from very different backgrounds.

Safiya fon Hasstrel is a Domna (lady) of Cartorra. She has been raised to take her place in the courts with the other high born. Safi is a truthwitch - she knows when someone is telling the truth or lying. It is a rare witchery and could be used for political gain if she was found out.

Iseult is from despised people, the Nomatsi, who are wanderers. Her looks cause much prejudice in people. As a threadwitch she can see the threads coming from people, the threads that tie communities together - often made up of emotions. She can see the mindset of a crowd or if someone is scared or angry.


As the twenty year truce approaches its end, there is a summit between nations to try to continue the peace - or at least a couple people are there for peace. Others are positioning for the restart of the war.

Dennard has created a great beginning to the series. Her world building is great and her characters are wonderfully real and flawed. This is going to be an awesome series. Truthwitch comes out on January 5, 2016.

Dennard, Susan. (2016). Truthwitch. New York: Tor Teen.

Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3)

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith (a pseudonym for JK Rowling) is the third book in the Cormoran Strike series. Strike is a private investigator in London. He and his assistant, Robin Ellacott, have a lot of cases after the publicity of two previous cases.

As Robin gets to work one morning a messenger is waiting with a package addressed to her. She signs the sheet and takes it up to the office. But it is does not contain the disposable cameras she ordered - it holds a human leg.

With the police focusing on only one possible suspect, Cormoran and Robin start their own investigation into the dark and twisted world of three men who may be involved - all of whom have a reason to target Strike and the people around him.

Galbraith is a masterful storyteller. Both Cormoran and Robin are great character though very different. Mystery and suspense readers who have not discovered Robert Galbraith would be wise to run to the nearest library and start reading the first book.

Galbraith, Robert. (2015). Career of Evil. New York: Mulholland Books.