Boston Jacky (Bloody Jack #11)

Boston Jacky: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Taking Care of Business by L.A. Meyer is the eleventh book in the Bloody Jack series about a wonderful and outrageous young woman whose adventures are a joy to read.

Jacky, being done in Spain - both for British Intelligence and with the studio of Francisco Goya - is sailing for Boston. It has been a while since she was last in Boston - having been sentenced to life in the Australian penal colony, washed away in a typhoon, and presumed dead by many.

Returning to her adopted home of Boston, Jacky must take stock of Faber Shipping Worldwide and check on friends while impatiently awaiting the arrival of her intended, Jaime Fletcher. However, as trouble seems to find her wherever she lands, Jacky has some old enemies to deal with, a changing political climate that has closed her favorite pub, and a Puritanical population that does not like the direction of the plays she puts on at her new theater.

As ever, Jacky Faber is a wonderful character who gets into and out of trouble and delights readers of all ages. This series is definitely in my favorite books of all time!

Meyer, L.A. (2013). Boston Jacky. New York: Harcourt.

The Gods of Gotham (Gods of Gotham #1)

The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye is the first book in her series by the same name. The Gods of Gotham is a mystery set around the founding of New York City's first police force, the "copper stars" in 1845. This creation coincided with massive immigration of Irish due to the potato famine to change NYC forever.

Timothy Wilde is a bartender. He dreams of one day saving enough money to marry the girl he fancies and move to Long Island or somewhere he can spend more time in the outdoors. But a massive fire that destroys much of lower Manhattan changes his plans. Tim's brother, Val, sets him up with a job - the newly forming police force. Though he does not think he wants the job, both because of the nature of it and because his brother got it for him, he show up the first day.

Tim Wilde is assigned as a roundman - a police who walk around a set path for his entire shift, both to prevent crime and arrest anyone committing a crime. At the time there were no investigative roles, only stopping what was going on. But Wilde, with his background as a bartender and his like of puzzles, will be given a situation that he must solve when a ten year-old girl in a bloody night dress literally runs into him on his walk home.

When the body of a young boy is found, and matches the story the girl told, it seems take New York has a killer of children hiding within its masses of people. Incorporating politics, race relations, clashing religion and the slang of the day, Faye has set readers up to dive into the past of our most famous city. Imagine a time when the wilds north of New York started just above Chelsea. Great story and characters in a fascinating setting. Fans of Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series might like this grittier version of historical mystery.

Faye, Lyndsay. (2012). The Gods of Gotham. New York: Penguin.

Foretold: 14 Stories of Prophecy and Prediction

Foretold: 14 Stories of Prophesy and Prediction edited by Carrie Ryan includes stories by some of the YA fantasy writers today. I checked it out because that list includes Malinda Lo.

Lo's story, One True Love, tells of a girl born to the king. The seer who attends her birth sees that she will be the end of the king when she finds her one true love. Hearing this, the king locks her in the tower, allowed only to see other girls. Of course, the king could never imagine that his exclusion of men wouldn't be the solution.

Lo is a master storyteller who writes fantasy and science fiction. Read her books!

Other authors in Foretold:
Lisa McMann
Kami Garcia
Margaret Stohl
Laini Taylor
Michael Grant
Saundra Mitchell
Richelle Mead
Matt de la Pena
Meg Cabot
Heather Brewer
Diana Peterfreund
Simone Elkeles
Carrie Ryan

Ryan, Carrie. (2012). Foretold: 14 Stories of Prophesy and Prediction. New York: Delacourte Press.

The Hero (Thunder Point #3)

The Hero by Robyn Carr is the third book in her Thunder Point series - set in a small coastal town in Oregon.

Devon McAllister and her daughter, Mercy, are escaping a cult. They have to get as far away as quickly as possible, but when the old guy in the truck offers them a ride and then offers to supply breakfast, Thunder Point seems off the beaten path far enough to be safe. Though she does not like to take help from strangers - partly due to the brainwashing of the cult and partly because that is how she joined the cult in the first place - but Rawley seems like a nice old guy. And Thunder Point is a quiet town where she can hide while she figures out what to do next.

Spencer Lawson just moved to Thunder Point with his son Austin. He is the new high school football coach. And the second he sees Devon he is drawn to her. But his wife just died, he moved across the country, and she is obviously going through some life changes.

Thunder Point is filled with great characters. The series is about the people in the town with each book highlighting one relationship. Loved characters from previous and future books will be included so readers can keep up with all story lines regardless of main plot focus of this particular book in the series - all characters will appear in all books. This is a great was to write a book about a town - like a soap opera or a television show with a large cast. Fans will love it.

Carr, Robyn. (2013). The Hero. New York: Mira.

Bad Apple

Bad Apple by Laura Ruby is the story of one young woman's struggle to be heard in the chaos of scandal and high school.

Tola Riley is sixteen. Until recently her favorite class was Art. But now she and her teacher, Mr. Mymer, have been accused of having an inappropriate relationship. He is on paid leave while there is an investigation. Tola is at school, but no one will believe her when she says that nothing happened. Her parents see her as a victim, classmates use this opportunity to pick on her. There is even a blog dedicated to rumors about her.

And maybe chopping her hair off and dying it green was not he best choice, but if she is going to have a reputation for being bad she should do something against the rules.

Written in the vein of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak or Twisted, or Jennifer Brown's Hate List or Thousand Words, Bad Apple is a novel on an important subject that hints at the absurdity of being old enough to be accused of something but not old enough to defend yourself to your accusers.

Ruby, Laura. (2009). Bad Apple. New York: Harper Teen.

The Floating Island (Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme #1)

The Floating Island by Elizabeth Haydon is the first book in the Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme - which tell of the adventures of Charles Magnus Polypheme, known as Ven.

Ven is the youngest son of a Nain shipbuilder. The Nain are a human-like race that usually lives underground, and they are known for their fear of water. But unlike his siblings, Ven has waited for years to be old enough to go out on one of the ships his family builds. But when it is finally his turn to sail the bay and sign off on the inspection, things do not go as planned.

Ven's ship is attacked by Fire Pirates, who never leave anyone alive. Through some quick thinking and high explosives, Ven finds himself floating in the wreckage. What follows includes sea monsters, mermaids, a floating magical island, and once on land, a haunted inn.

The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme are adventure at their best. Haydon has reassembled the journals and filled in the blanks to create a wonderful series that will appeal to all ages.

Haydon, Elizabeth. (2006). The Floating Island. New York: Tom Doherty Associates Books.

City of Dark Magic (City of Dark Magic #1)

City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte (a pseudonym for the writing team of Meg Howry and Christina Lynch) is the first book in a series by the same name.

Sarah Weston is a PhD student in music history, focusing on Beethoven. She has been invited to Prague Castle for a summer internship cataloging and setting up a room in the castle to display original material and works of Beethoven. Sarah assumes she was offered the internship because her mentor, Professor Sherbatsky, is also working in Prague.

Though her roommate warns her that Prague is built over a hell portal, Sarah is excited about the prospect of materials that Beethoven actually touched and owned. Prague Castle is owned by the Lobkowicz family, the current heir being Max Lobkowicz Anderson. One of the previous Prince Lobkowicz was Beethoven's patron.

After Sarah arrives in Prague, strange things begin to happen. She learns that her mentor is dead of an apparent suicide. Max is acting strange and is hiding something. Miles, who is in charge of all of the academics cataloging in the castle, acts like someone is watching him. And a mysterious dwarf who seems to be able to appear at will is either a friend or a spy.

Flyte has created a novel filled with music history, the history of Prague, magic, intrigue and humor. City of Dark Magic is a strange and wonderful read.

Flyte, Magnus. (2012). City of Dark Magic. New York: Penguin.

Diverse Energies

Diverse Energies edited by Tobias S. Buckell and Joe Monti is a collection of short stories by YA science fiction and fantasy authors to raise money for the Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship Fund.

"Good Girl" by Malinda Lo takes place in a future New York City. People who are deemed pure live above ground and the mutts live in tunnels that used to house trains. Kyle lives with her mother at their restaurant. She is about to reach her assignment day, which will determine what she will do for the rest of her life. But the day of her brother's assignment, he disappeared. Kyle has to find out if he is living in the tunnels.

Planning to pay someone to search for her brother, Kyle meets Nix. Nix is a tattooed, shaved-headed mutt tries to send Kyle back above ground for her own good. But there is something about Nix that keeps drawing Kyle in, even after she has paid the price promised for information on her brother.

Malinda Lo is a great author of YA speculative fiction, often with lesbian characters. Each of her books is amazing and fans (like me) will read anything she ever writes.

Other authors included in Diverse Energies:
Ellen Oh
Daniel H. Wilson
K. Tempest Bradfort
Ken Liu
Greg van Eekhout
Rahul Kanakia
Paolo Bacigalupi
Cindy Pon
Rajan Khanna
Ursula K. Le Guin

Whether you already like one of these authors, or they are all new to you, this collection is a great introduction to some amazing storytellers who write diverse fantasy and science fiction. For even more diversity in YA see the blog, Diversity in YA!

Buckell, Tobias. (2012). Diverse Energies. New York: Tu Books.

The English Girl (Gabriel Allon #13)

The English Girl by Daniel Silva is the thirteenth book in his series featuring Gabriel Allon - a Mossad assassin who just wants to retire, but keeps getting pulled back into a world of espionage, terrorism and politics.

Gabriel is once again retired. He and his wife, Chiara, are living in Israel. He is restoring a painting - at which he is a genius. Chiara is working at the Israel Museum overseeing the building of a new exhibit. Until his old boss comes for a visit telling him that Graham Seymour of MI5 has asked for a meeting.

Madeline Hart is a rising star in British politics. Rumor is it that she could one day be prime minister. But while on vacation in Corsica she disappears. One month later, the senior advisor to the British prime minister receives a photo of Madeline holding a current newspaper. Included in the envelope is a note that she will die in seven days. The note is given to the prime minster, who contacted Graham Seymour, who flew to Israel to recruit Gabriel Allon. Though Allon wants only to spend time with his wife and a string of great works of art, he will help look for Madeline Hart.

Silva is a master story teller. From his first book, The Unlikely Spy, he has been at the top of the espionage genre. His character Allon is a force who readers will follow to the ends of the Earth. Any reader even slightly interested in espionage or thrillers needs to read all Daniel Silva's books.

Silva, Daniel. (2013). The English Girl. New York: Harper.

Silhouette of a Sparrow by Molly Beth Griffin is a coming of age novel set in 1926 - a time in American history when young women began to realize they could make choices outside of family expectation.

Garnet Richardson is going to spend the summer with her aunt and cousin at a hotel on the lake in Excelsior, Minnesota. He aunt, Mrs. Harrington, is more well off than Garnets family. While she is away her mother hopes to help her father out the depression he brought back from the war.

Garnet is excited about a town on a lake. She is fascinated with birds. As a young girl, she and her father would walk through the woods and study the birds there. Later, once she got old enough that science and traipsing through the woods became unladylike (according to her mother) she could only watch the birds from afar.

When her aunt and cousin turn out to be boring, Garnet has the idea to get a job. And on the first day of her job, Garnet meets Isabella Strand - a flapper who dances at the local dance hall. And while Garnet can not exactly imagine going home after the summer and marrying her beau, she could see herself spending all of the time she can sneak away with Isabella.

Griffin has crafted a beautiful story of first love in a lush setting and time period. Her characters and descriptions will fill more that the page as readers fall in love with the book. And bird lovers will relish the themes.

Griffin, Molly Beth. (2012). Silhouette of a Sparrow. Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed.

The Assassin (Grafton and Carmellini #3)

The Assassin by Stephen Coonts is the third book in his series featuring Jake Grafton and Tommy Carmellini.

After his son is killed in Iraq, a high up political official contacted the president and asked him if there wasn't a back channels way to go after terrorist. He and his group of friends would gladly supply the money if the president could point him toward the expertise. So the president called Jake Grafton - retired Navy Admiral now working for the CIA.

While highly unorthodox (aka illegal) a team is set up to track the active terrorists of al Qaeda, including the leader Abu Qasim who escaped a botched G-8 meeting attack in France due to the interference of Grafton and Carmellini. Now teams of ex-special forces snipers are taking out high ranking terrorists. But Qasim will soon find out where this new threat is originating and who is in charge.Soon Qasim will be after Grafton, Carmellini and the seven financial backer of the group tracking him.

Coonts writes high stakes thrillers with the best of them. And Carmellini, a relaxed CIA sanctioned burglar, teamed up with a no nonsense Admiral will have the bad guys running for cover. These books are intense but light reads that will eat up a subway commute.

Coonts, Stephen. (2008). The Assassin. New York: St. Martin's Press.

Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2)

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi is the second book in her Shatter Me series, which could also be called the Reestablishment series, a dystopian young adult novel.

Juliette has been afraid to touch people her whole life - with good reason. Her skin can hurt others. She is like a human Venus flytrap. Her touch pulls life force from the people she touches. So she tries desperately not to touch anyone.

But she has found someone she can touch without hurting. It is the most amazing feeling to be able to be hugged or to hold some one's hand. And, now that she has escaped from the Reestablishment, she has the chance to learn about others with "gifts."

There is an underground movement opposed to the Establishment. They are not the rebels who cause troubles, but a second group - Omega Point. And though small, their gifts allow them to move about in the military state without much problem. Which is good as they have to steal their supplies from the Reestablishment warehouses.

When Juliette joins Omega Point, she begins to feel like she could belong. But there is not much time for her to settle in because the Reestablishment is looking for her and Omega. Soon they will be at war and she must come to terms with what her body can do and how she can fight.

The Reestablishment series is great dystopian fiction. I could not put either book down and am now impatiently waiting for the third book to be written. (It is due out in 2014.) Read this series!

Mafi, Tahereh. (2013). Unravel Me. New York: Harper.

Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1)

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is the first book in her Shatter Me series that takes place in the future, after we have destroyed much of the planet and a group called the Reestablishment has taken over as government of the whole world.

Juliette Ferrars has been locked away for much of her life. Her parents locked her in her room and people at school kept their distance. Now she is in a cell and she has not even spoken to anyone in the last 264 days. But that is about to change.

Juliette is getting a roommate. A guy. They will be locked together in a small cell 24 hours a day. What the boy does not know is that her skin can kill him. A simple handshake or hug could overwhelm him with pain until she absorbs his life force. For this reason she has come to believe she is a monster. No one knows why her skin is fatal to others, but it has made for a tough life with no affection.

But the Reestablishment has plans for her. They wish to turn her into a weapon of torture for their cause. They are still fighting rebels in an attempt to eradicate all previous culture and ties to any other form of government. And in order to convince her to work with them, they will use the one person from her past with whom she has an emotional connection.

Mafi has created a great dystopian world. Juliette is a complex and compelling character who readers will root for all the way.

Mafi, Tahereh. (2012). Shatter Me. New York: Harper.

Sparks

Sparks: the Epic, Completely True Blue, (Almost) Holy Quest of Debbie by S.J. Adams is a young adult coming of age novel.

Debbie Woodlawn has done everything with her best friend Lisa since sixth grade. Now a junior in high school, it is time for Debbie to come to terms with the fact that she is in love with Lisa. But Lisa just got a boyfriend. Now Debbie has to either find new friends or come out to Lisa in the hopes that she secretly feels the same way.

When a classmate suggests she speak to Emma, Debbie does so reluctantly. Emma and her best friend Tim have created their own religion. It is called the Holy Church of Blue. As Blueists, Emma and Tim has written commandments go on holy quests when necessary. It is necessary for Debbie to go on such a quest now.

With the help of her new friends, Debbie will confront Lisa and hope for the best. But along the way, the quest will take her on a wacky journey of discovery reminiscent of a Libba Bray novel. Adams has created a quirky and lovable story that will inspire readers to be more open-minded and go after what they seek.

Adams. S.J. (2011). Sparks. Woodbury, MN: Flux.

Thousand Words

Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown is the story of a text gone wrong.

Ashleigh Maynard is about to start her senior year of high school. Her boyfriend is leaving for college in a few days. At an end of the summer party her friends convince her to send him a picture of herself naked, and she is just drunk enough to do it.

But when Ashleigh and Kaleb break up he proves that he is not the great guy she thought he was. Kaleb shares the picture with his baseball friends - who share it with everyone else.

Now Ashleigh is doing community service. She was charged with distribution of child pornography. Her community service is to create a brochure about sexting and how it can be harmful. Plus she has to go to school every day with everyone staring at her and calling her names.

Jennifer Brown proved she could write a great YA novel about a tough subject when she tackled school shooting in Hate List. With this new novel she cements her place as a brilliant writer.

Brown, Jennifer. (2013). Thousand Words. New York: Little Brown and Company.

Starting From Here

Starting From Here by Lisa Jenn Bigelow is a lesbian coming of age story.

Colby Bingham is a junior in high school. She is failing a couple of classes and her grades are not likely to get better now that her girlfriend has broken up with her. To make matters worse, her now-ex-girlfriend has just started dating a boy - and bringing him to the gay-straight alliance meetings.

Colby's best friend, Van, is just about the only person Colby is still talking to regularly. Her father is a long haul truck driver, gone for six days each week. And her mother died two years ago. Now Colby just wants to disappear.

But one night Colby and Van rescue a dog on the side of the road. The dog will give Colby something else to think about besides her life. And when someone from the school newspaper wants to write an article about the rescue, she will have a new change at love.

Bigelow has written a great LGBTQ young adult novel that captures the desperation and hope of being a teen. Colby is a wonderfully flawed character who will capture the heart of readers.

Bigelow, Lisa Jenn. (2012). Starting From Here. Las Vegas: Amazon Children's Publishing.

One Sweet Ride (Play by Play #6)

One Sweet Ride by Jaci Burton is the sixth book in her Play by Play series featuring professional sports figures - this time a race car driver.

Gray Preston is a stock car driver. He started his own team that currently consists of two cars. Though his father is a US Senator and a wealthy rancher from Oklahoma, Grey is doing things on his own. He was written out of the family money when he chose a sports scholarship to a school in Oklahoma instead of pre-law at an ivy league.

Evelyn Hill works for Senator Preston, who is in the running for the vice president spot in the next election. He job is to convince Gray to help his father's campaign - bringing he thousands of fans with him. But her job will not be easy. Gray has not spoken to his father for a long time and wants nothing to do with him or politics.

Burton's Play by Play series is filled with sexy stories of hot athletes. This is the first in the series not featuring a member of the Riley family that began the series, but branching out to their friends. Still, look for cameos by the former stars of the series in this book. Grab one of these books to take to the beach this summer.

Burton, Jaci. (2013). One Sweet Ride. New York: Berkley Sensation.

Thrown by a Curve (Play by Play #5)

Thrown by a Curve by Jaci Burton is the fifth book in her Play by Play series featuring professional sports players.

Alicia Riley is a sports therapist for the St. Louis Rivers baseball team. She has earned her spot on the sports medicine team through study and hard work and is about to be assigned to her biggest case yet.

Garrett Scott is the starting pitcher for the Rivers, but he is out with a shoulder injury. He has been working for months to get back in shape for the start of the new baseball season, but it is not going quickly enough.

When Alicia comments that he is not recovering faster because he has his head up his arse, he requests to work with her. She has a different approach to his recovery because she recognizes that what is slowing him down is his head an not his shoulder. For the next few weeks they will be working closely together to get Garrett back on the pitcher's mound.

Burton writes steamy romances revolving around great characters. Fun read that will make you blush.

Burton, Jaci. (2013). Thrown by a Curve. New York: Berkley Sensation.

The Twelfth Enchantment

The Twelfth Enchantment by David Liss is the story of the fight of progress in England.

Lucy Derrick lives with her uncle. She has lived with him since her sister married a horrible man in the hope that he would provide for both of them. While she is from a good family and upper class, she has no money and her uncle wishes to be free of her. So he has agreed to marry her to a mill owner.

Before Lucy can figure out a way not to marry Mr. Olson, a man arrives at the house. He is dressed like a peer but from the knees down his clothing is shredded. He calls her name and tells her not to marry Olson and the collapses on the steps. When the doctor examines him he can find nothing wrong and suspects a curse.

Collecting the woman the doctor recommended, Lucy meets Mary Crawford. It seems like Miss Crawford was expecting Lucy to arrive. Indeed, the woman who admits her to the house gasps with excitement when she sees Lucy. And with her introduction to Mary Crawford, Lucy begins to be introduced to the world of magic.

England is at a time of change and Lucy Derrick will play a part in the outcome.

Liss is a master of historical fiction and his books pull readers into the stories like magic. The Twelfth Enchantment is a fantasy novel that reads like historical fiction, like The Night Circus or The Golem and the Jinni - magic plays an important part of the story but is not the main plot. With the publication of Harry Potter the fantasy genre exploded, but this new trend is a more mature, subtle telling of tales of magic. Fans of historical fiction will be thrilled at this trend.

Liss, David. (2011). The Twelfth Enchantment. New York: Ballantine.

The Newcomer (Thunder Point #2)

The Newcomer by Robyn Carr is the second book in her Thunder Point series about a small town on the coast of Oregon.

Mac is the sheriff of  Thunder Point. His job is to keep everyone safe and happy. But now it is his turn. He has been in love with Gina James for a long time, but they had not take their relationship past friendship. They are both single parents, though with the help of an aunt/mother, and they put their families before their own happiness.

Of course about the time they are ready to become more than friends, obstacles pop up to challenge them. Mac's ex-wife, whom he has not seen or heard from in a decade shows up one day to see the three children she left him with. And Gina's teenage daughter goes through a difficult break up with her first boyfriend.

Also, Cooper and Sarah (who started dating in the first Thunder Point book) have some obstacles of their own. Though she is supposed to have a least one more year stationed in Oregon, the Coast Guard may be about to promote Sarah out of town. And Cooper gets a call about one of his ex-girlfriends, who needs to see him before it is too late.

Carr's series is really about the whole town and includes many characters, but each book focuses on one new or changing relationship. So any character you love will be featured in many novels, not just as a cameo, but as one of the main characters - think of the series as a soap opera, with less exaggeration! There is a whole cast of characters with whom to fall in love. This series is a great choice for a beach read.

Carr, Robyn. (2013). The Newcomer. New York: Mira.

Three Ways to Capsize a Boat

Three Ways to Capsize a Boat: An Optimist Afloat by Chris Stewart is the story on one man taking the job as a ship's captain and then trying to learn to sail.

When asked by a friend's elderly aunt to captain a boat in the Aegean sea for the summer, Stewart jumped at the chance. Then he realized he knew nothing about boats. Step one: get a book on sailing and learn the language. Step two: find someone with a boat to go to sea... when that goes poorly, step three: sing up for a sailing class.


Buy the time he arrived in Greece, he had the basics of sailing under his belt. Then he had to deal with the fact that the boat he was sent to pick up, a Cornish Crabber, had not been repaired as promised, but was sitting with other decrepit crafts in a pile on the shore.

After a rough start, a beautiful summer sailing the Aegean, led Stewart to a love of sailing. So when his sailing teacher called and said he was putting together a crew to sail from UK to Rhode Island via Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland, he jumped at the chance. Of course his summer sail did not quite prepare him for dodging icebergs and the storms around Greenland.

Stewart's humorous (and at times harrowing) tale of his early years in sailing illustrates both the joy and power of our waterways. He has been compared to Bill Bryson as an author of travel adventure and folly. This book will either make you want to sail, or never go near the water!

Stewart, Chris. (2009). Three Ways to Capsize a Boat. New York: Broadway Books.

Cold Steel (Spiritwalker #3)

Cold Steel by Kate Elliott is the final book in her Spiritwalker trilogy.

Cat Barahal is a daughter of two worlds. She grew up in the regular world thinking she knew who her parent were, but later found out that her biological father was of the spirit world. This dual identity allows her blood to open gates between ours and the spirit world. And this duality has placed her at the middle of both a war for control in Europa and made her a slave to her sire - the master of the Wild Hunt, who collect the souls of the soon to be dead each Hallows Night.

With war breaking out in Europa between General Camjiata and the radicals versus the mage houses and princes who are the top of the current class-based system, Cat must rescue her husband Andevai from the spirit world and then get to Europa to help her cousin Bee fight with the radicals for self-governance.

In this exciting conclusion to a great fantasy trilogy, Elliott brings enough closure to the series to placate readers while leaving them wanting more. Her characters are flawed and wonderful, her world is exceptionally well crafted, and her plot is filled with espionage and intrigue. As a cross-genre recommendation, fans of the Jacky Faber series by L.A. Meyer will recognize many of the traits that make Jacky so lovable in Cat Barahal.

Elliott, Kate. (2013). Cold Steel. New York: Orbit.

Stealing from the Dead

Stealing from the Dead by A.J. Zerries is a mystery that combines history, terrorism, murder, a great NYPD detective and a retired CIA agent to lead readers through an intricate, thrilling story of a scam to cheat Holocaust survivors of their right to reclaim funds hidden from them by Swiss banks.

Detective Greta Strasser is in her nineteenth year in the NYPD. Her boss is counting down the days and making sure to make each one as bad as he can. So when Strasser finds inconsistencies with a heart attack in an older Jewish woman, she is told to stop seeing what is not there. But Greta does not give up that easily - it is why she is a good cop.

Then, one late night when she gets back to her Brooklyn apartment, she is approached by an older man. At first she is suspicious - she has had a rough week. But soon he convinces her to trust him. He is an ex-CIA agent (though strictly desk work) who has been following a pattern of supposed heart attacks in older Jewish people whose names appear on a list. The list is of people whose parents or grandparents opened a bank account to try to keep their money safe during World War II. At the end of the war, anyone who attempted to reclaim one of these numbered accounts was told it did not exist. But after years of battle, the Swiss banks have to make the funds available to any living relatives of the men who opened them.

It seems that someone is killing the people who appear on the list. Some person or group is filing out the paperwork and then killing the relative so he/they can claim the funds. And the funds have been traced to an account the funds terrorism against Israel.

Zerries has written a fascinating tale that will capture readers of many genres with this great read. Check it out today. Then join me in hoping Greta Strasser has more books in the future.

Zerries, AJ. (2012). Stealing from the Dead. New York: Forge.