REVIEW: Haunted Kids

Haunted Kids
Authors: Bruce Nash & Allan Zullo

I love ghost stories. I'm always game for any collection of spooky tales. I often turn to middle-grade lightly scary stories as palate cleansers between heavier adult fiction that I enjoy reading. This book is a collection of 11 allegedly true strange occurrences that happened to kids. From cats who return from the dead to mysterious glowing orbs, these stories are eerie and entertaining.

This book is age appropriate. The stories are lightly creepy but nothing over-the-top. Most middle-grade age kids would enjoy this book. It might be a bit too much for kids younger than 8 just because it talks about death, scary things at night, dangerous situations, etc.

Stories included are:

The Devil's Garden
Grave Consequences
The Headless Trainman
The Secret of Room 333
The Home Wrecker
The Ghost of Slow Sam
The Baby-Sitting Ghost
The Scardey Cats
The Thing in the Attic
The Warning
The Glowing Ball of Death

At 91 pages, this is an entertaining quick read. The stories would be fun to read out loud as well. Might be great ghost story entertainment for a stormy night, or during a sleepover or camping trip. This might be a great book to use in a classroom setting as a writing prompt for students to write their own spooky tale.

Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo have written other similar books including Totally Haunted Kids and Spooky Kids: Strange But True Tales. I enjoyed this book. I will definitely be looking at more of their work.

REVIEW: Jane Seymour, The Haunted Queen

Jane Seymour, The Haunted Queen
Author: Alison Weir

Jane Seymour (1508-1537) was the wife of Henry VIII and Queen of England for a very short time, 1536-1537. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as Henry's wife and bore him a son...and died a few days later from birth-related complications.

In The Haunted Queen, Allison Weir continues her Six Tudor Queens saga with Jane's story. The book is a mix of historical fact and fictional story, recounting what might have happened from the time Jane was about 10 years old until her death.

I am a sucker for all things Tudor. And Jane's story, while being less exciting or morbid than the divorces, two beheadings and a survivor, her tale is still fascinating to me. The struggles between the catholic church and the monarchy, the King's long fight for divorce from his first wife, Katherine, the short reign of Anne Boleyn.....and her own marriage to Henry.....   Jane lived in very exciting time of change, violence and political rivalries. While I'm glad that I don't live in a similar situation, it is interesting to read about those who did. I can only imagine how scared Anne Boleyn was when she realized her triumph at being named queen was going to end in disaster. And Jane's short-lived joy at birthing a son.

I loved this book! I've read a couple other books by Allison Weir and always enjoy her mix of fact and fiction. It brings Court and all the intrigue to life. I'm not sure why I enjoy reading about Henry VIII's reign so much. He really was a bad king and a narcissistic man bent on having a male successor no matter what the cost. Let alone the irony that  most likely it was his sperm and health that caused the problems in the first place.

Fabulous book for those who enjoy historical fiction. This is NOT a romance novel disguised as historical fiction, but a fictionalized account of historical events. Don't expect steamy sex scenes....it's not that sort of book.  If you want to read about political intrigue, the jealousies of court, and Jane's short lived marriage to one of the most famous rulers of England....then this book is perfect!

I will definitely be reading more by Allison Weir. I haven't read the first two books in this series yet -- Katherine of Aragon, The True Queen and Anne Boleyn, A King's Obsession. There are also several Novellas in the series, including one about Arthur, Henry's older brother and Katherine's first husband. I will definitely be reading this entire series! I can't wait for the next book! Anna of Kleve is up next -- another divorce. (At least she kept her head!!)

**I voluntarily read an advance reader's copy of this book from Random House via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

REVIEW: The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale
Author: Margaret Atwood

I have a personal rule that I follow: If a movie or television show is based on book and I haven't yet read it, I have to read the story before I can watch it on film. With very few exceptions, I have always found the book version to far surpass any attempts at movie/television adaptations. The film versions either cut out major plot points, characters and events or veer so far from the original story as to make it almost unrecognizable. The Handmaid's Tale is one of those books that have been on my "I really want to read this'' list for a long time, but I avoided it because I knew the story would be dark and distressing. This year I challenged myself to read more of these books that have been lurking on my tbr for one reason or another and with Hulu making a Handmaid's Tale series.....I finally took a deep breath and dived in.

I was right -- this story is dark and distressing. But it's also interesting and well-written. I'm glad I finally took the time to read it.

Offred has lost everything from Before -- her husband, her daughter, her old life, her mother, her friends, her freedom, even her name.....everything from Before is gone. The United States is now the Republic of Gilead. They waged a terrorist attack, killing the president, Congress, anyone who got in their way....and they took over. The Republic says it has freed women by removing immodesty, overt sexuality, vanity, any activities that prevent them from fulfilling their natural purpose. Those who rebel or break the rules are severely punished. Life is now orderly, controlled and proper. Offred is forced to wear red robes and live within the household of a Commander. She is a vessel....her purpose is to conceive a child that will be given over to the Commander's wife. She recounts her memories of Before, her thoughts about her child, her husband, her life that are now gone, and her present circumstances. She just wants to live....no matter what horrors are in her life now.

I don't usually enjoy stories that flip around in time...jumping forward, jumping back, flip, flip, flop. But, Atwood does it well. In The Handmaid's Tale, it works. Offred recounts memories of her life with her husband Luke and her love for her daughter. She also talks about things that happened when her life first changed. She remembers friends and talks about seeing them again after everything happened. I felt concern and sympathy for her....and for the other women. And it also made me feel sympathy for women who live under similar circumstances in areas of the world now. No power. No voice. I wouldn't survive it.

The ending of the book is a bit abrupt and strange...but it works. I'm not going to include any spoilers. Read or listen to the book. :)

All in all, I enjoyed the story. It is heavy....and dark....and scary. There were points where it was difficult for me to continue, but that just means the tale was well told. I'm definitely going to read more by Margaret Atwood. She has mad skills!

Now I really need to go read something much lighter......  :)

REVIEW: Cockroaches

Cockroaches
Author: Jo Nesbo

I want to watch the movie The Snowman based on one of the books in the Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbo. The book the film is based on is the seventh book in this series. I am a bit OCD about reading a series in chronological order...and always reading the book before I watch a movie adaptation. So, I have a lot of reading to do before I can watch the film! :) In Book one, The Bat, Norwegian Police Inspector Harry Hole was sent to Sydney, Australia to investigate the murder of a Norwegian woman. In this second book in the series, once again Harry is sent to look into a suspicious death in a foreign country. This time, the Norwegian Ambassador to Thailand has been found dead in a Bangkok brothel. Harry discovers that there is much more going on than just a murder. But it's all hidden. The book compares it to cockroaches....for every one you see, there are many that you don't see. In a country where all kinds of sex, drugs and vice are available for a price, Harry finds that it's very dangerous to shine a light on dark secrets.

Although this book is the second in the series, it was translated into English only after other later books in the series were translated. The first book, The Bat, was also translated later. From what I could glean from a bit of online research, this delay was mostly because the later books that take place in Oslo are considered to be better than the first two books. I liked this story for the most part, even though some of the subject matter (child pornography and sexual exploitation for example) are tough to read about. Harry Hole is a very flawed character, but an excellent investigator. He is an alcoholic who has fallen off the wagon following the case in Australia. He has committed illegal acts and made huge mistakes. I had a hard time liking him in the first book. Now that I've read the second book in the series, Harry is beginning to grow on me. He's hellaciously flawed....but he is also driven, has a very strong moral compass when it comes to the importance of justice, and he's a damn good investigator. Harry would never compromise an investigation to appease the powers-that-be. Does he get drunk and do stupid crap? Yep. Has he made HUGE whopping mistakes? Yep. Is he sometimes a sarcastic ass? Yep again. But, when he's handed a case he never stops until it's solved. He is gaining my respect as a main character. By the time I get to book 7, I'm going to have a much better opinion of the flawed cop.

I'm enjoying this series. It's different in that it shows how a seriously damaged man can redeem himself, and how he can be a seriously gifted investigator and still have a screwed up personal life. He has a very bad relationship with alcohol.....but as so many struggle with the same demon, I can understand his botched efforts to remain sober. It's hard to stay sober in the face of senseless murders and the stress of an investigation that uncovers absolutely horrifying truths.

Great story! I'm really enjoying this series! Already in the queue for the next book in the series on my local library's digital site. I can't wait to see how Harry operates when he's at home in Oslo. On to book 3 -- The Redbreast! I'm one step closer to being able to watch the movie!! Yay!

REVIEW: Dark Waters

Dark Waters
Author: Mary-Jane Riley

Dark Waters is the third book in the Alex Devlin series. This is the first book in the series that I've read...and I'm glad I did. This is an enjoyable mystery with an interesting plot and some dark surprises. Well-written and nicely paced, it made for a very enjoyable evening of reading. I got to bed quite past my usual time because I couldn't put this book down. Worth it!

Two men are found dead on a rented boat in the Norfolk Broads. Local investigators say the men were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning. The deaths appear to be suicide. Alex is a reporter and jumps at the chance to cover the case for The Post. Why would a wealthy businessman and a former priest commit suicide together? The case goes down a dark path involving internet suicide forums, dark secrets and revenge. It turns out that 40-year old secrets might be closer to home than Alex realizes.

I like Alex Devlin as a main character. She is intelligent, self-reliant and feisty. She's totally dedicated to getting the story and investigating, even when the situation gets dangerous. Her family and work relationships are complex and complicated, but that just makes the character seem more realistic.

I definitely enjoyed this book! This is the first book by Mary-Jane Riley that I've read. I will definitely be back-tracking to read the first two books in this series!

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from HarperImpulse via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

REVIEW: The Woman Before You

The Woman Before You
Author: Carrie Blake

The blurb for this book is misleading. This is not a suspense thriller but thinly veiled erotica. And not even enjoyable erotica. This book is disturbing and not my cup of tea at all.

Isobel is a failing actress and bored with her life. She works at a mattress store and has a creepy boss. She starts to use Tinder and other dating apps as a way to fight boredom. She goes out with man after man, using her acting skills to pretend to be his perfect woman then deleting the contact after one date. It makes her feel powerful. Until she meets Matthew.   Matthew is a man with bad past. He's done some things that he isn't proud of, and spent years pretty much failing at life. Then he met Val....an actor and rich man who likes to play games. Matthew works for him and has been instructed to find a woman....a woman he can make do anything he asks. He finds Isobel. And the games begin.

I didn't like either of the main characters in this book. Isobel  wants to feel powerful and like she has control over her life. But she falls for a man she knows is using her without any show of strength at all. He tells her to do things....and she does. She makes no attempt to sever the relationship or say no. Seems pretty weak and stupid to me.   And Matthew.....he's completely lying and using this woman at the bidding of his sick, manipulative employer.  For me, they both came off as vile, weak human beings. Ugh.

The plot for this story seems to be cheesy set ups for these two messed up people to almost have sex. Almost. Lots of weird foreplay and games.....it's all a giant mind-F.

The blurb used to describe this book has nothing to do with this story. There is no sinister plot....other than manipulation and sick mind games. There is no love story here. And this book is nowhere close to Dangerous Liaisons or a story that should be touted as "the most shocking thriller you'll read this year.''

This book disappointed me. The cover looked promising. The plot blurb sounded interesting. But, neither actually goes with the book. This was a waste of my time. I feel misled. Very disappointed.

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from HarperImpulse via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

REVIEW: The Uninvited Corpse

The Uninvited Corpse
Author: Debra Sennefelder

Hope Early has had a rough time lately. Her career as a magazine editor ended. Then she flopped on a reality baking show in NYC and got a divorce. Now she's back home in Jefferson, CT, trying to put her life back together. Her food blog, Hope at Home, is becoming popular and she's starting to feel a bit better about her life. The Jefferson Garden Club is having a spring garden tour at Audrey Bloom's home. Audrey writes books about gardening and has a new 5-book series coming out on the different growing seasons. The spring tour is a big deal for Audrey, and Hope wants to help her friend make it special. Relationships between some of the garden club members is strained after the town lost its listing in the Top 25 Community Gardens in Connecticut. And local real estate agent Peaches McCoy shows up uninvited. Peaches is unpopular because she's been buying up area farmland and properties for development into subdivisions. She and Audrey are at odds over many local issues including the development projects. But, Peaches' drive and personality have caused many people to dislike her. In fact, someone at the garden tour disliked her enough to kill her. Hope discovers the real estate agent dead in the study after the tour. Who hated the woman enough to bash her head in with a rock? Unfortunately, Hope's sister Claire is the number one suspect. When a second killing casts more suspicion on her sister, Hope jumps in to do some amateur sleuthing. She knows her sister didn't kill anyone, and Hope is determined to discover who did.

This book is a great start to a new cozy mystery series! I enjoyed the story from beginning to end. The ending caught me a bit by surprise. I love it when a cozy doesn't end the way I think it will. The mystery is nicely paced, and had some twists and surprises. I like Hope as a main character. Her friendship with the cute Chief of Police has some hints at upcoming romance. The background theme of blogging is interesting and current. Throw in some quirky, fun side characters and a dog and you've got a great cozy mystery! Plus, there are some yummy recipes included at the back of the book.

The Uninvited Corpse is Debra Sennefelder's debut novel. She will have another book, Murder Wears a Little Black Dress, coming out in January 2019. It's the first novel in the Resale Boutique Mystery series.

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**