REVIEW: Claws for Suspicion

 Claws for Suspicion
Author: Deborah Blake

The first thing that caught my attention making me want to read this book is the cover. Pretty fall colors, a black kitty, an idyllic lake.....the skull and crossbones. Definitely cozy style. A small town so peaceful and wonderful....until a dead body pops up. :)Gotta love cozies! Plus, Fall is my favorite time of the year, so I jumped right on this book. 

I somehow missed the second book in this series and didn't realize it until I got a bit into this book. Claws for Suspicion is the third book in the Catskills Pet Rescue series. It didn't harm my enjoyment of the book that I skipped the second book....not really any spoilers and I was easily able to follow the characters and plot. 

The basics: Kari Stuart is settling into her new business - an animal shelter called Serenity Sanctuary. But then her ex husband Charlie shows up, spouting nonsense about she owes him a rather large sum of money from lottery winnings. It gets even worse....Charlie turns up dead and Kari is the #1 suspect, of course. So much for serenity....

Enjoyable story! I'm definitely going to backtrack and read book 2. I like the characters, the setting and an animal shelter being part of the background of the plot. The story moves at a nice pace, and there is plenty of investigation and surprises. There aren't any intricate twists or huge reveals, but it was a fun, entertaining cozy! And the front cover is awesome! 

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing. All opinions expressed are entirely my own**

REVIEW: Damn Lucky

 Damn Lucky
Author: Kevin Maurer

John "Lucky" Luckadoo was a bomber pilot in WWII. He dropped bombs over Germany under heavy fire, protected by his Bible and his girlfriend's silk stocking he wore around his neck like a scarf. He completed 25 missions and returned home after the war. 

Kevin Maurer does such a great job writing about John Luckadoo's experiences during the war. I found myself completely sucked into the story from the start. The detailed descriptions of battle, air combat and the daily life of the airmen are mesmerizing, intense,  and so interesting. I can only imagine how horrible and frightening the entire experience must have been for pilots. Anyone with an interest in WWII history will enjoy this book. 

This is my first experience with Kevin Maurer's writing. An award winning journalist and war correspondent, Maurer tells this story with skill. I'm definitely reading more of his books. I've already got 3 of them added to my TBR list! 

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St. Martins Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

REVIEW: A Matter of Death and Life

 A  Matter of Death and Life
Author: Simon R. Green

I have been a huge Simon R. Green fan ever since I first started reading the Nightside series years ago. I was so sad when that series ended....but, I perked up when he started writing the Ishmael Jones books. And, now the Gideon Sable series. Both have a bit of that Nightside creepy-cool feel to them. Love it, love it, love it! 

A Matter of Life and Death is the 2nd book in the new Gideon Sable series. Gideon is a thief....a con man....a scoundrel. But he doesn't steal the normal things like money, jewels, bonds. He's out to find supernatural, powerful, bizarre things. Items with power....dangerous things. Unusual things. Gideon has a code though -- he only steals from those who truly deserve it. This time, Gideon has to repay a favor and steal a heavily guarded item from a casino. The Masque of Ra. With immortality on the line, this job might just be the hardest one Gideon and his crew of misfits have ever tried to pull off!

Another great story in this new series. I love Simon R. Green's style. I read everything he writes. If he wrote a stereo installation manual, I would read it. :) Definitely waiting in line for the next story in this series! I wonder what Gideon is going to steal next??? 

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Severn House. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** 

REVIEW: The Paradox Hotel

 The Paradox Hotel
Author: Rob Hart

The Paradox Hotel sits near the Timeport. Hotel guests arrive dressed for their foray into time, so one never knows what might be seen or experienced at The Paradox. January Cole is a detective. She spends her days jumping back and forth in time to stop people from changing the past. There's a cost though...she experiences time skips and other bizarre side effects. And it's starting to have an effect on her mental health. 

Things are getting a bit dicey at the hotel. The government is preparing to privatize time travel tech, and all sorts of people are showing up to get their piece of the pie. Powerful people. Dangerous people. As January slowly loses her grip on reality, she struggles to investigate a dead body only she can see and the dangerous situation building at the hotel. 

I loved the plot and suspense of this story. There's nothing like a great time-travel tale! The story moves at a perfect pace, and January Cole is a great main character. 

This is the second book by Rob Hart that I've read. I also enjoyed The Warehouse. Can't wait to read more! Very enjoyable story!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Random House Publishing/Ballentine. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

REVIEW: Umboi Island

 Umboi Island
Author: J.J. Dupuis

I love monster stories. Cryptids. Kaiju. Legends. Any sort of monster and I'm gonna watch/read/listen to it! My podcast playlist is filled with bizarre tales, "true'' stories and all sorts of cryptoid goodness. Monster movies, books, comics, audio theater, podcasts....love it all! So when I came upon this series totally by accident, I had to read! I don't normally jump into a series at book 3, but -- Monsters! -- so I just jumped on the review copy I was offered and got to reading! 

Laura Regan is the host of a film series on Cryptids. This time the subject of the show is the Ropen, a flying creature with bioluminescence from Papua, New Guinea. Laura and her film crew travel to Umboi Island in hopes of spotting one of the legendary creatures. In the midst of interviewing locals for stories about sightings and input from believers and skeptics, a dead body turns up in camp. Laura and her crew end up chasing a killer as well as looking for a mysterious flying creature. 

I loved the blend of legend, action-adventure and mystery! The book wasn't too bogged down in Cryptid action -- no monster rampaging and tearing limbs off the film crew. This was a mix of humans doing bad things to each other and investigating a mysterious legend. The story is paced perfectly. I liked the characters and the setting. Very enjoyable read!

I'm definitely back-tracking and reading this series from the beginning. I wish there were audiobooks, but I do understand that they can be cost-prohibitive for authors. This is the first book by J.J. Dupuis that I have read. I've already added the rest of the Creature X series to my TBR, and can't wait to see what creature his characters investigate next!! 

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Dundurn Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

REVIEW: Diablo Mesa

 Diablo Mesa
Authors: Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

I read every book these two write. I'm a long time fan of the Pendergast series, and jumped right into this spin-off when they first started writing novels about Nora Kelly. Diablo Mesa is the 3rd book in this series, and the stories just keep getting better and better!!

This time Nora is tasked with investigating at Roswell, New Mexico. Yep -- aliens and The Incident we all know about. And, she isn't happy about it. Nora is a total skeptic when it comes to the legendary alien event. But her annoyance with the excavation comes to an end when they dig up two dead bodies. The bodies have obviously been mutilated to obscure identity. The FBI becomes involved and the case gets stranger and stranger. This is more than just murder -- but a possible cover-up of something much more dangerous and sinister. 

Loved this story!!!!! I couldn't stop reading! Preston and Child hit it out of the park again! As usual -- they never disappoint me. Definitely up for whatever adventure they send Nora on next -- it's always action-packed and very suspenseful. 

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing. All opinions expressed are entirely my own** 

REVIEW: Dungeon Crawler Carl

 Dungeon Crawler Carl
Author: Matt Dinniman

A friend recommended this LitRPG series to me, and I had no idea when I started the first audio book that I was going to end up binging most of the series back to back. Love these books! Jeff Hays is a talented narrator who brings the characters and entertaining plot to life. He has rapidly risen the top of my favorite narrators list! So talented!!

The basics:  Carl is minding his own business and actively trying to lure his ex's spoiled cat back into the house when everything crashes down around him...literally. Aliens invade earth and smash every structure to pancake piles of rubble in seconds. Portals open....those who survived can choose to stay on Earth's surface and die, or venture into the dungeon and become part of the most watched reality television show in the galaxy. 18 floors of monsters, dangerous games, traps and tricks. The surviving humans have to navigate each floor and find a staircase down to the next level before time runs out and the floor collapses. 

Carl and his sidekick cat Princess Donut don't have anything to lose....so they learn to fight and survive. 

The audio book is 13.5 hours long and Jeff Hays does a phenomenal job of voice acting! The voices he does for each character are perfect. 

This is the first series by Matt Dinniman that I've read/listened to. I'm definitely reading more! I love the mix of fantasy with a gaming/RPG twist and humor. So fun to listen to!