Category Archives: Mystery

Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance

Shearin, Lisa: Raine Benares

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The fantasy adventure series about the elven seeker Raine Benares consists of six books. These are:
  • Magic Lost, Trouble Found (2007)
  • Armed & Magical (2008)
  • The Trouble With Demons (2009)
  • Bewitched & Betrayed (2010)
  • Con & Conjure (2011)
  • All Spells Break Loose (2012)

Entertainment and adventure are the main focus of the books. There is action, some romance, more action and humor. Shearin writes well and manages to hold my interest through all six books. “Magic Lost” was a bit rusty, but the books have gotten better and better.

Raine is a fun adventure character. She is a finder of things lost and people missing. But what Raine finds best is trouble. Action and adventure begins right off the bat. Focus is mainly on the adventure and not so much on world building or character building. But as the plot unfolds, so does Raine (and her compatriots).

Her favorite companion in trouble is her cousin, Phelan, and her friend Tam (a goblin mage). As we move further into the series Mychael (Paladin) and Pieras (almost brother) assist more and more in getting Raine out of trouble. For the main part trouble is focused on a pendant called the Saghred (has its own mind). For some reason the Saghred attaches itself to Raine, and as Raine soon discovers the Saghred is not conducive to a peaceful life. From that point on, Raine becomes involved in an international crisis, internal goblin politics, an elven uprising and so on.

Mystery, Science Fiction

Meaney, John: Context (2007)

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Cover art by Jim Burns

Wow. This book is gold. “Context” is book no. 2 of the “Nulapeiron Sequence”. As such it is the continuation of the story about Tom Corcorigan. This story keeps getting better and better. Meaney blends philosophy with action and obsession beautifully. In Context he manages to keep the text flowing in a manner above and beyond most authors. What a gift.

Tom is healed from devastating injury. His security chief, Elva comes along. Unfortunately, she is killed on that trip. This becomes a defining moment for Tom. He realises his love/passion/obsession with Elva. When it turns out that somehow Elva has survived, but that her mind has been transferred to the body of her twin sister. Tom goes off hunting Elva. In the process he becomes one of the most important tools in the fight against the Blight.

Of course, there are many stages of learning for Tom. One does not blithely meet with something as powerful as the Blight. One of the many tools aiding Tom is the mu-space crystal that he got hold off in “Paradox“. From it we learn more about Ro and her role in the whole mystery.

Hard-core science fiction has seldom been more fun. Please, please read this trilogy if you have the chance.

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Wells, Jaye: Sabina Kane

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Jaye Wells is the author of the Sabina Kane series. Her writing has progressed with each book. In the final installment of the series Well achieves that nirvanic place of writing that I’m certain all authors seek. Her writing flows and she makes me happy to have read her book. The Kane series is entertainment. I’m going out on a limb here, but I believe the books are meant for adults. Some of the content is a bit racy, but the violence avoids goriness. Wells keeps the tension going and the reader hanging on as best they can. This series works is set as an urban fantasy. Most of the books are focused on the characters and not places, so there aren’t a lot of scenic descriptions.

photoSphynx cat – RuthArt

RED-HEADED STEPCHILD (2009)

Sabina Kane is half vampire and half mage – a forbidden product of a forbidden romance. Her grandmother Lavina, is one of the tree leaders of the vampire race. She despises her granddaughter for the impurity that she has brought into the race. Sabina is aware/not-aware of this and does her best to please her grandmother – an impossible task.

Assassin is the only thing that the vampires have deemed Sabina worthy of being, so Sabina makes certain she is the best. When a mischief-demon steps into her living room and stabs her with apple-wood (deadly to vampires), Giguhl comes into Sabina’s life. Slowly, but surely, Sabina’s life changes and magic is introduced – along with the traditional hunky wizard guy who she is bound to fall in love with. One of her magic spells goes haywire and Giguhl gets a form like the above Sphynx cat to use amongst people. You can imagine he was pleased with that.

THE MAGE IN BLACK (2010)

Adam Lazarus by Annie Walls

Learning that she had a twin sister in New York blew Sabina away. She was mostly dreading her meeting with her due to her lack of self-confidence. But Maise accepted her. Now Sabina is in New York and has decided to side with the mages, try to learn magic and work for peace. This enrages her grandmother, who orders her killed. Unfortunately, the process of being accepted by the mages is a difficult one. First she must be cleansed and her abilities decided. In addition Sabina must get used to drinking only processed blood. No more fresh from the vein.

Giguhl and Adam Lazarus continue to be Sabina’s side-kicks – to a varying degree. Giguhl has the humorous part in this play while Adam plays the romantic lead. Sabina struggles with all of the demands placed on her. Whatever a Chosen is, she knows she isn’t it – not matter what the wizards say. Meeting an old flame isn’t doesn’t exactly make life easier on her. But Maise is turning out to be someone Sabina likes and that lightens the burden a little.

GREEN-EYED DEMON (2011)

Maisie has been kidnapped and Sabina sets out to rescue her. First they have to figure out where she is. When all clues lead them to New Orleans, Sabina, Adam and Giguhl travel together to try to find a way to rescue Maisie. As dear grandmother was the one to kidnap Maisie, Sabina worries about the state her sister will be in when they find her.

A local witch and voodoo practitioner and her transgendered assistant find it in their hearts to help in the search. Old acquaintances of Adam end up helping the gang. Will this be enough to do the job?

With Green-Eyed Demon we begin to see the depth of Wells’ writing. She does a good job at portraying her figures. Giguhl is my favorite one. Sabina shows the difficulty of going good when she’s been soooo bad.

SILVER-TONGUED DEVIL (2012)

Cover shoot by Shirley Green

Maisie is back, but she is in trouble. The kidnapping and having to draw blood to survive has taken its toll. Sabina tries to support her, but feels out of her depth. Figuring out who to trust is turning out to be more difficult than she had thought possible, and Sabina is now becoming more and more pessimistic about the possibility of peace between the three races.

Then a string of sadistic murders begin happening, and suspicion falls on Sabina. At the same time her relationship with her lover, sister and demon are getting stronger. Sabina’s investigation into the killings turn up frightening questions and Sabina has to make some difficult choices.

BLUE-BLOODED VAMP (2012)

Now we get to the final book in the series, “Blue-Blooded Vamp”. Sabina is after Cain to revenge the killings of people Sabina has loved. Unfortunately, Cain is hunting Sabina, too.

Abel, the mage who bound Cain is the one who can help Sabina. Sabina sets out for Rome with her friends to find Abel and get some answers. When she gets there, Sabina discovers that the role she and her sister are supposed to play is a game of the gods and she is one of the key pieces.

Good ending. Happily ever after kind of. Wells has given the urban fantasy genre a new and interesting way of portraying the paranormal creatures out there.

Adventure, Children, Fantasy, Mystery

J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter

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While I’m dealing with guilty parties, I might as well tell you about author no. 2 that helped my other son love reading.

Harry Potter by Tsulala

I have to say that I was prejudiced against the Harry Potter books. They were so hyped up, I felt that I would only be disappointed if I read one of them (silly thing these emotions). Then I borrowed “Philosopher’s Stone” from a neighbor. Ha, ha was I ever surprised. I actually liked this little awkward boy trying to fit in and find friends along with mastering his strange ability.

My oldest son has no reading disorder, but by the time he was 10 his teacher was a bit worried. He read poorly, she felt. For some reason I wasn’t worried. I knew what to look for, and he displayed none of the symptoms of dyslexia, so I just figured he was a late reader.

We started reading “Philosopher’s Stone”. He loved it. Then we went on to “Chamber of Secrets” and “Prisoner of Azkaban”. When we got to “Goblet of Fire”, he felt I was too slow and irregular in my reading to him. He picked up the book himself, finished it and the first three in less than three months. After that he devoured books. I have plenty of them and buy and borrow new ones all the time.

All it took was his impatience and an excellent author to open up his reading door. So, thank you to Joanne Rowling as well.

Children, Mystery

Keene, Carolyn: Nancy Drew

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Nancy Drew: Out of This World by sunni-sideup

My son was about 8 when I started reading our old Nancy Drew books to him. Keene’s books were a great help in getting him to a point where he started reading himself. Being dyslexic, this was not an easy point for him to get to.

Our Nancy Drew books were from the 1950’s and on. Part of the appeal laid in the formal language (the way we used to talk here in Norway) and in the fact that a lot of our books had belonged to his grandparents. In addition, the plots are simple and the characters never change. Nancy is always around 16-18, Ned is her boyfriend and George and Bess her best friends. This never-changing world made it easier for him to stay tuned to what was going on.

I think he was about 11/12 when he finished his first Nancy Drew. Since then, he finished all of the ones that we had and went on to other literary adventures.

So, a big THANK YOU to all of the Carolyn Keene authors. You have made a huge contribution in helping a boy with dyslexia learn to love reading.

Mystery

Wahlberg, Karin: Trøsteren (2012)

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Sorry folks, this one does not come in English and neither will this input.

Jeg fikk Trøsteren av min snille svigerinne. Inntil da hadde jeg aldri hørt om Karin Wahlberg. Nå har jeg det og er glad for opplevelsen.

Trøsteren er en del av serien om førstebetjent Claes Claesson og hans kone overlege Veronika Lundborg. De havner i alskens mulige og umulige situasjoner og må løse gåtene som oppstår. Dette er mitt første møte med denne verdenen, så jeg vet lite om hvordan de tidligere bøkene har vært (annet enn kritikker da).

Trøsteren var et vellykket møte. Karin Wahlberg skriver på den Christieanske måten. Her er det lite gørr og sex. Istedet får vi en intrige med noenlunde gjettbare gjerningsmennesker og med interessante karakterer. Det er tydelig at det er en forhistorie for ekteparet Claesson/Lundborg, men det at jeg ikke visste hva den var gjorde ingenting. Wahlberg skriver godt og boken er morsom å lese.

En kvinne går hjem nattestid og blir skutt. Hun blir operert av Veronika Lundborg på Lund sykehus intensivavdeling. Livet reddes, men da hun flyttes til vanlig avdeling dør hun. Har Veronika tabbet seg ut?

Førstebetjent Claesson kan ikke ta saken pga av forholdet med Veronika, men en annen interessant sak dukker opp. Det blir funnet et levende spedbarn i en pappeske bak politihuset. Nå får Claesson gleden av å skulle sjonglere avstanden til saken han bryr seg om og letingen etter moren til spedbarnet.

Fantasy, Mystery

Damsgaard, Shirley: The Witch is Dead (2007)

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The Witch Is Dead (Ophelia and Abby Mysteries)“The Witch is Dead” is part of the Ophelia and Abby mysteries. This is the only one of them that I’ve read. Even though it is the 6th book in the series, I had no problem figuring out what was going on. It’s always nice when authors manage to write stand-alone books.

I found Damsgaard’s writing pretty good. She kept the action coming and her characters, especially Aunt Dot, likeable. The baddies were not a given from the start. As I’m one of those terrible people who reads the last few pages right after the first chapter, I knew who they were. I find reading books more enjoyable if I’ve read the ending quite early on.

As a mystery The Witch worked. At times it was a bit off in its rhythm. For the most part it followed a Christierian formula. Violence wise it was the same. It’s refreshing when writers avoid splattering guts and blood all over my pages.

“Psychic librarian Ophelia Jensen has an exciting life––solving supernatural mysteries with her Grandmother Abby and her adopted teenage daughter, Tink, who also happens to be a medium. But, all Ophelia really wants is to create some normalcy and routine. When Ophelia’s elderly Great–Aunt Dot comes to Summerset, Iowa, for a visit and is out from the watchful eye of her older sister, Dot is determined to find a little fun and excitement, too.

Mystery, Science Fiction

Meaney, John: Paradox (2001)

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Paradox: Book I of the Nulapeiron Sequence (Bk. 1)

Cover art by Jim Burns

I’ve now read “Paradox” for the third time and am still enjoying it as much as the first. Because I’m a dork, I just realised that there are two more books to this series. Well, well, live and learn.

From the above I’m sure you can tell that I really liked “Paradox“. We get a large dash of philosophy, some biology, sociology, lots of action and a thoroughly likeable protagonist. Tom Corrigan is at the centre of our attention throughout the whole novel. He raises himself through the various layers of society through hard work, luck and other people’s ambition. There is no sugar-coating of our hero. He rises to the greatest heights and falls to the deepest depths of hell. Meaney is a really good writer.

Nulapeiron is a strange world. Semi-alive dwellings and vehicles. Subterranean demesnes layered from the poorest to the richest. At the very top we find the Oracles.

Tom Corrigan is witness to the brutal killing of a woman by the militia. She just happens to the same woman who gave him a small, seemingly insignificant info-crystal. Shocked to his core, Tom realises that she is one of the mythical Pilots.

This info-crystal, along with the Oracle Gerard, are the two things that push Tom onto a path that will take him to his destiny.

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance

Benedict, Lyn: Shadows Inquiries series

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Lane Robins writing as Lyn Benedict is the author of the Shadows Inquiries series. I think you’ll find that all of these books lean toward the lighter side of fantasy literature. Sylvie Lightner’s character lives in Miami, a slightly different Miami from what most people associate with it. This is a place where the magical and godly take up a lot of space.

Sylvie is the owner of Shadows Inquiries, a P.I. firm that investigates the supernatural. Sylvie Lightner fits the mold that most women in urban fantasy seem to be cast to. The difference in these books is that there seems to be a darker undertone, and Sylvie might be slightly darker than the average. Benedict’s writing is good. The plots are as below, so nothing really complicated.

SINS & SHADOWS (2009)

When one of Sylvie’s employees ends up killed during a case, Sylvie decides she has had enough of investigating the weird and unusual. It is time to close shop.

Then Kevin Dunne turns up looking for his lover, and he just will not take no for an answer. Sometimes you just cannot fight “fate” and Sylvie ends up working for Dunne. Knowing who/what Kevin Dunne is does not make the job pressure any lighter – quite the opposite in fact.

Sylvie’s least favorite part of the whole investigation is that she has to involve friends and her employee Alex. Sometimes the consequences are anything but good and the battle Sylvie has to fight is against herself and the supernatural community.

Sins & Shadows is great entertainment and has no pretensions of grandeur. It delivers what it promises – escape from reality for a while.

GHOSTS & ECHOES (2010)

Once again Benedict writes an entertaining book about the world of Sylvie Lightner. As the title says, ghosts will appear.

During the investigation of what appears to be simple burglaries, Sylvie discovers the involvement hands of glory. On top of looking into the burglaries, Sylvie has to look after her rebellious sister, Zoe. Sylvie feels she has more than enough on her plate.

But the fates would have it otherwise. While investigating the burglaries case, Sylvie is approached by detective Adam Wright who thinks he has picked up the ghost of a dead man. Against her will, Sylvie is drawn into the fate of detective Wright.

Ghosts, black magic and a wayward sister are bound to make for an exciting time for Sylvie. Fortunately for her she has her trusted employee, Alex, helping her out.

GODS & MONSTERS (2011)

The third novel in the Shadows Inquiries series follows in the path of the first two. Once again Sylvie Lightner is confronted with a mystery that only she is able to solve (with the help of a few others).

The legacy of her bloodline – with all of its inherent anger – continues to plague Sylvie. What others might think of as the gift of the century, Sylvie feels is more of a curse. But she will find it invaluable during the process of the novel.

Five women turn up dead in the Everglades. While something feels off about the whole thing, Sylvie decides this is probably a regular murder case. Hah, hah. When the bodies come to life and start killing, Sylvie has to step in and take what help she can in figuring out what dark magic is afoot.

The help of a necromancer is what Sylvie ends up with. Together they end up confronting the world of gods, and once again Sylvie decides that the gods are not all that great.

LIES & OMENS (2012)

The three people Sylvie cares most about are threatened. Zoe, Alex and Demalion are the one thing that can bring Sylvie out of her hiding and into investigating the magical attacks on Internal Surveillance and Investigation government agency.

What Sylvie has discovered throughout the other three books is that she needs help and does not have to do everything alone. That is definitely true in Lies & Omens. Sylvie will need all the help she can get in order to save the mundane world from the magical one.

As a final book in the Shadows Inquiries’ series, Lies & Omens works pretty well. The conclusion tied up loose ends and felt satisfactory.

Adventure, Fantasy, Humour, Mystery, Young Adult

Cook, Glen: Sweet Silver Blues (1987)

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Sweet Silver Blues is the first book in a series about P.I. A. Garrett. It’s a humorous story about a world filled with gnomes, blood-suckers and various other elven creatures. The tone is ironic and the action plenty.

Garrett has to track down the woman his dead pal Denny left a fortune in silver to. On the way he is attacked by various “people” who are after this treasure. Fortunately he has the aid of Morley and his grolls. Otherwise, this would truly be a mission impossible.

Humor is tough. We all laugh at such different things. Some like this type of humor, while I’m more into the dry wit of Terry Pratchett. Without googling him, I would have guessed that Cook is from the US (he is). While the British humor sneaks up on you from behind and taps you on the shoulder, some US humor is more direct.

Which is why commenting on humorous books is practically impossible. Having said ALL that, Silver is well written.

Fantasy, Mystery, Western

Monk, Devon: Dead Iron (2011)

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Dead Iron

The Age of Steam is the new series started by Devon Monk. This time she writes steam-punk (I wonder where they got the word steam-punk?). I don’t really understand why so many fantasy buffs don’t like steam-punk. It’s great fun along with most other fantasy. As Monk is the author, the quality of the book is guaranteed (thankfully). It’s light entertainment (a little heavier than the lightest) and doesn’t strive for moralistic or philosophical preaching. However, Monk does treat her characters as complex beings with dark and light sides. I abhor literature where the goodies are sugar-good and the baddies are black as tar bad. Way to go Monk.

Dead Iron is the first installation in the series about the bounty hunter Cedar Hunt. Cedar has a “slight” health problem that becomes uncontrollable about once a month. To protect others, he lives a bit outside town.

When a small boy goes missing, and the parents go to Cedar for help. After a lot of hesitation he takes on the case. During his search Cedar meets other strange people and a lot of prejudice and fear. In Dead Iron, Monk combines fantasy and technology in a wild-west world where the impact of iron and technology threatens to destroy the presence of magic.

Mystery, Science Fiction

Fenn, Jaine: Principles of Angels (2009)

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Principles of Angels is Jaine Fenn’s first novel. It’s supposed to be set 7000 years into the future on the uninhabitable world of Vellern. People live either Topside or Undertow, where Topside is the more attractive part of their world. Here the world is ruled by democracy by murder (you get to vote on whether to kill a representative). The assassins are called Angels.

Taro lives with his Angel aunt who is murdered. This throws him even deeper into the Undertow and we get to see his struggles to survive and his search for his aunt’s killer. I think “Principles” could probably be called a mystery. On Taro’s search, Taro is confronted with his own fears and prejudices.

I liked “Principles”. It is a well-written novel with prose that flows from one line to another. It is violent, but I’m guessing people who live in this world’s Undertows would recognise the fears and difficult choices you have to make. If Fenn continues like she has, then her authorship is going to a fun one to follow.

Fantasy, Mystery

Jacka, Benedict: Fated (2012)

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“Fated” is the first book in the Alex Versus universe. In many ways it is similar to “The Dresden Files” by Jim Butcher. Harry Dresden is even mentioned by Alex Versus in one of the first chapters. Alex is a pre-cog. In his case, he is able to foresee the future with enough time to possibly do something about it. By seeing various outcomes, he gets to choose action or inaction in order to influence things. This is an ability that many people want to utilise.

As an urban fantasy, “Fated” is pretty average. I consider Butcher the better storyteller, but Jacka managed to hold my attention. Not every author manages to do that. But for me, it was missing that little something that makes entertainment extra entertaining.

Translations:

  • Swedish: Ödesbunden; Transl: Hanna Williamsson; Fenix, 2012
Fantasy, Mystery, Romance

Andrews, Ilona: Kate Daniels

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Kate Daniels by Ilona Andrews

“Magic Bites” starts off the series about Kate Daniels, yet another urban fantasy series. As an urban fantasy this series is above average. It follows Kate Daniels, a mercenary with interesting and mysterious abilities, who is exposed to the shapeshifting and vampire societies through various mysteries that she and they have to solve.

We get to see how her relationship to the King shape-shifter, Curran, develops. We also get to follow along on her discovery of her magical abilities and get a look-see into her mysterious ancestry.

Thus far, the books in this series are:

Magic Bites, Magic Burns, Magic Strikes, Magic Bleeds and Magic Slays.

I guess the series would be comparable to Patricia Briggs: Mercy Thompson, Devon Monk: Allie Beckstrom and Jim Butcher: Dresden Files. These are all good examples of quality writing that does not take itself too seriously. It’s ambition is to entertain, and entertain it does.

Mystery

Leon, Donna: Beastly Things (2012)

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Commissario Guido Brunetti is once again out to catch his criminal in “Beastly Things“. The Brunetti series is quite extensive and follows Guido over several years. Leon has managed to maintain a good standard of writing throughout the whole series. “Beastly Things” is a good example of the quality of her work.

Some mystery writers seem to wallow in gore and violence. Leon is NOT one of these. We are made to work for the answers to her riddle. In addition we follow the private life of Brunetti and see his development over quite a few years. The Italian (Venetian) society is revealed in all its glory and corruption.

I like the way Leon has managed to write such an interesting character and maintained my interest over the years.