Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 312 - Uneasy Lies the Crown by Tasha Alexander, Wait Until Dark by Kat Martin

Uneasy Lies the Crown by Tasha Alexander
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not my favorite story. I like Lady Emily and enjoyed the previous book where she told two stories; one current and one from the past. They did a good job of putting the two stories together. This time I did not enjoy the past and found that it really slowed the story down. Lady Emily is looking for a killer and Colin is trying to solve a puzzle. That puzzle is the reason for the story set in the past. I liked the current mystery and skimmed the past story. There was a connection but it just did not catch me and as a result this is the first time a book form this series gets only 3 stars.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.


Wait Until Dark by Kat Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A nice short start to a new series by Kat Martin. Jonah Wolfe and April Vale are both interesting characters. When April is set up to take the blame for a murder she turns to Jonah. The result is an exciting story with enough twists and turns to keep the story interesting while keeping the ending a surprise. Nice start to a new series.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 150 - The Phoenix Warrior by Ella Drake, Provenance by Ann Leckie, A Death in St. Petersburg by Tasha Alexander

The Phoenix Warrior by Ella Drake
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had trouble getting into this one. I found the action to be slow and the result difficult to understand. I did like the characters but did not feel the tension between the the two main ones made that much sense. I also found the book to be overly long. I felt it would have been better if it was edited down to a shorter length. I will wait to see if book two does a better job of catching me.


Provenance by Ann Leckie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a interesting story. Like my headline after I finished listening I came to the conclusion that this was story about sibling rivalry and coming of age mixed with politics. All of this is wrapped up in a complex plot while following the sibling who never expected to inherit because of her adoption background. Included were the different worlds, aliens, and the politics involved when you mixed all of this up. There is great world building and back story told from the main characters point of view. Adjoa Andoh does great job with giving voice to all the characters that are represented in this very complex plot.

Death in St. Petersburg by Tasha Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This time Lady Emily has managed to join her husband Colin while he is on assignment. This leads to a book that tells a tail of mystery as well as highlighting the city of St. Petersburg. Set at the turn of the century there is unrest but the Tsar is still in power and the rich and mighty fill the halls of the city. What starts as a magical night at the ballet turns into a tale of murder when the principal ballerina is found dead outside of the theater. Lady Emily is asked to find the killer and she accepts. I was fun to see the city through her eyes and to watch her eliminate one suspect after another. There is a hint of the coming unrest before she realizes who the killer is. At the same time Colin is looking into the situation for England and the Queen. A very nice addition to the series.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews #77 - Imprudence by Gail Carrier, A Terrible Beauty by Tasha Alexander, Elementary, She Read by Vicki Delany

Imprudence by Gail Carriger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I like Imprudence better than Prudence the first book in the Custard Protocols. Once again Prudence and her crew are off in the Spotted Custard, her airship. Part of the book finishes out the Parasol Protectorate; something I had wondered about. As it turns out everything happens as planned in the last book Timeless. From there Pru and friends are off in another interesting adventure. This could be the last book in the series as things ended on a high note for Rue and Quesnel. We will see if there is more to come. This would stand alone but is much better if you have read Prudence and the Parasol Protectorate series.


A Terrible Beauty by Tasha Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It seems that we are going back to book one in the Lady Emily series. Once again it seems like Philip, Lady Emily's first husband is alive. This time it is not a hint but a person who shows up looking and sounding like Philip. It throws both Emily and Colin a big curve. It was interesting to see how both reacted. Neither Emily or Colin want to end their marriage. They are still very much in love and plan to stay together. Philip does not seem to pose too much of a threat to the two but he does come with a mystery and brings danger with him. Is this really Philip or is it someone else? That is not resolved until the end of the book. An interesting addition to the series even though it seems like a re-tread of book one.

Elementary, She Read by Vicki Delany
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had not read a cozy mystery in quite awhile and had forgotten how much I enjoyed them. Elementary She Read had a book store devoted to Sherlock Holmes as the setting for this new series. Sherlock Holmes is part of the story line but the characters are unique unlike many that are following the Holmes theme. The setting is New London, New England and Baker Street. The main character is very good at noticing details but she is also sometimes to clever for her own good. She makes mistakes but does finally realize committed the murders and why. A engaging book. The cat named Moriety was one of my favorite characters. Relives in the books story and likes everyone but the book store owner. A very different cat who does nothing to help solve crime.

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