"Dirt Dealers", by A.W. Kaylen

Heather Chase FBI # 0.5

This novella of 85 pages or so was a promotion to introduce us to the author and his series. I received this prequel through Bookfunnel at no cost.

This sort story has quite a punch and is said in somewhat crude and choppy language while Heather tries to work with her fellow Agents. She seems smarter than them, analysing the situation before jumping to conclusion. This mystery is about sex scandal, a string of murders and a secret no one wants to reveal, an ordinary case of course given to a female Agent....something is not right and Heather uses her instinct to solve the puzzle and wrap up the murder case...

The storyline is captivating enough, active and provides some twists to derail us, suspense is there to keep the guessing game on and manages to do so till the very end. So-so characters very stereotypical, nothing special come out of them. I would say it is the run of the mill mystery/police procedural. Good but not exceptional.

"The Warsaw Sisters" by Amanda Barratt

WW11 Poland

This is the story of twin sisters Antonina and Helena Dabrowska whose strong bond will be tested by the devastation of war. Ms. Barratt brings us on a heart wrenching journey along with the characters as the sisters bravely fought in different ways the oppression of Nazis. Helena joined a resistance cell while Antonina smuggled Jewish children out of the ghetto.

The historical events are woven within the fictional characters lives and storyline, giving us a glimpse of the courage and sacrifice the citizens of Warsaw had to face. Told from the point of view of each sister and in alternate chapters we navigate through the tragedy that unfolded in Warsaw for five long years of oppression, brutality and terror. Although all Polish people suffered, the Jewish people were singled out. Jolanta, a pseudo for Irena Sendler, a legend during the war was Antonina’s contact. We have snippets of the dangerous and important work this group of women did. As for Helena her story was inspired by the Warsaw Uprising; the most heroic and tragic chapter’s in Poland’s history. We also dabbled in many other facets such as the Katyn massacre, Treblinka deportations, the Wola and Ochta massacres and many other major and tragic events.

The style is very emotional, every word vividly said and touching. This story has depth with a strong sense of place and time. The characters are sharply drawn although I did find the sisters were a bit too lucky to escape so much tragedy without being hurt even killed, even some of their action should have brought retaliation: slapping a German in the face and getting away with it...questionable as an example.

The author’s notes at the end of the book tells us why “The Warsaw Sisters” is a powerful story hard to put down.

I received this ARC from Revell Publishing through The First Reviewer Program.

"The Proof of the Pudding", by Rhys Bowen

A Royal Spyness Mystery Book # 17

I started this series at this point and I assure you that in no way was I lost not knowing what had previously happened, Ms. Bowen does excellent work in introducing her characters and melting them smoothly into a new story. Although it may be great the read this series in order since snippets of the past does pop in from time to time.

Georgie is home awaiting the birth of her child, and to show off her new French chef, a party is set to celebrate Sir Hubert’s return from his last expedition. One of the guests is Gothic horror novelist Sir Mortimer Mordred who lives nearby wants to borrow Georgie’s chef for his own party. He loves to give his guesses a tour of his garden, then a banquet is served where several of the them suddenly became sick......everything points to Pierre the French chef but Georgie wants none of it and goes all out to defend him.....

This is amateur sleuth at its best. Clues come very slowly to stretch the suspense and it is done beautifully. At first I thought this drama was way to slow moving for my taste but lo and behold I got caught in the excitement and held captive till the murderer was known. Along the way we meet colourful characters, a mix of celebrities such as Agatha Christie and Laurence Olivier. The maid and house help played roles to a tee and were entertaining along the way. Not forgetting the dreadful sister in law. In my mind, I told her to buzz off many times but Georgie was graceful and tolerant....

I like the simple style and the active narration with lack of frills or posh words used by British Aristocracy and hard for some of us to comprehend. Most of all the detective work is sound and captivating and the story can move on with Georgie now a mother..... Till next time....what will Ms. Bowen come up with to give us another entertaining read...well-said and well-done.

Many thankyous to Berkley Publishing Group as well as Netgalley for providing this ARC.

"An Innocent Child", by Roberta Kagan

                                               

“Margot’s Secret” book #2

It is highly recommended to start with the first book “The Secret They Hide” in order to enjoy and not be lost. Book#2 picks up where the first left off and we have little back information to situate us.

Nazism is right around the corner. Margot is married to Max and they are close friends with Ben, a Jewish doctor. When their sickly son Erik grapples with a life-threatening illness they turn to Ben, but the rising tide of anti-Semitism, Ben doesn’t have the medication to take care of him. In desperation Margot turns to her sister Trudy, who is married to an ambitious Nazi officer but Trudy has deep feelings for Max and wants his attention at no cost.... She is holding back a family secret that could change everything if revealed and will shatter families....

Although this historical fiction is set before and during WW11 it is mainly of sisters and how far one is willing to go to help a sick child. Ms. Kagan doesn’t shy away from the horrors of Action T-4 a program set by the Nazis to euthanized individual not deemed to be part of the Aryan society: mentally ill or physically deformed individual. These poor souls where sent to a hospital who would give them special care...the author also tackles in her storyline the Lebensborn Program, a program set to increase Germany’s population.

We have a lot going on which fans of historical fiction may find repetitious but around all the known events we do have an interesting family saga and an intriguing backstory of Trudy’s maid. As usual Ms. Kagan has painted a dramatic story that could have happened during war time. The emotional struggles and the many changes the citizens had to endure are well noted and highlight how power to a group ruined the lives of many. I am with some reviewers saying that Ms. Kagan’s words are not simple words but words we need to learn from....

The writing is simple and well-done. The narration flow smoothly and keep a steady pace, in all very active. This is an interesting storyline that held my attention from start to finish. I cared for the characters; they each have a strong personality to love or to hate. In all this is a good book.

Well-said, well-done

I received this ARC from the publisher Book Whisperer via Netgalley

"The Porcelain Maker", by Sarah Freethy

This is the story of two lovers caught at the crossroads of history and of a daughter’s search for the truth.

This tale was inspired by the actual porcelain factory in Dachau and span through the horrors of WW11 and the 20th century. This is an epic story of love and betrayal that starts in Germany in 1929 with two talented individuals Max Ehrlich, an Austrian Jewish architect and Bettina Vogel, an artist, whose drawn love and aspirations were dashed by the rising threat of the Nazis.

In alternate chapters, the narrative moves back in forth in time to America in 1993 with Clara, Bettina’s daughter, embarking on a journey to trace her roots and determined to find the identity of her father....

This story vividly describes the scenery, characters’ tragic circumstances, the concentration camps, the beautiful art work and the evilness of the times. Both timelines are brought together beautifully and in a memorable way. The story is rich in vocabulary and the depth and texture of the narrative is not overwhelming. The era is right up my alley I should have enjoyed this story, most reviews I read say this is an outstanding historical novel.

But what went wrong? Most of the time I simply couldn’t stay focused on what was being said. Why? First: the romance between Max and Bettina’s was quite banal and their characters lacklustre. Second: Max and Bettina story moved at a very slow pace, borderline boring. Third: the last part seemed rushed and too many questions flashed in my mind that I never found answers for, maybe my mind wander too much..... But I did enjoy Clara and her quest for the truth.

Even with its qualities ,this novel was a chore to read.

My thanks to St.Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the ARC

"Betrayed by Evil", by Melinda Woodhall

Bridget Bishop FBI, book #8

This final episode is oozing with suspense and excitement and brings us in a world rarely understood of witchcraft and its coven.

Returning home after a long absence Tempest Grove is determined to find the truth behind her twin sister’s disappearance decades earlier. Unfortunately digging into the past brought the wrong people out and it didn’t take long before she fell into a deadly trap and found murdered. Bridget Bishop is called in to join in the investigation of the woman’s brutal murder. At first suspicion falls on a local coven but who was really behind....

I love this series and I hate seeing it end but for sure Ms. Woodhall will spin another one that may include this wonderful character...future will let us know.

As usual the plot is solid and entertaining. Action packed and of course filled with drama, twists and turns. I found it hard to guess who the “Raven” was and what was behind all the killings “offerings” but drip by drip the clues are revealed during that time I was on the edge of my seat and biting my nails, the suspense was at its high. Added is a dash of magic to pique interest wasn’t a bad idea. Yes this book brings us in the world of make believe as most books will.....so let yourself be bewitched with “Betrayed by Evil” and enjoy the thrills and surprises it brings....

I received a free copy of this book and I leave a voluntary review, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

"Betrayal", by Phillip Margolin

Robin Lockwood book #7

A Legal Thriller

In a few words:

Robin, MMA fighter turned Portland, Ore., criminal defense attorney takes on the case of a former rival, Mandy Kerrigan, who has been charged with murdering a family of four. Though Mandy maintains her innocence, witnesses saw her banging on the door of the Finch family home after beating up the Finch’s oldest son, Ryan, at a bar when the performance-enhancing drugs he sold her showed up on a drug test. Robin is convinced she’ll find answers about the Finches’ enemies that will divert blame from Mandy. But this case turned not to be a cake walk.....

Defending her old nemesis in a multiple murder case with too many suspects, where success might cost Robin’s life, is not simple. To complicate matters, she is dating the DA.

My thoughts:

I am a long-time fan of Phillip Margolin and I am always eager to read what he has in store for us.

The court scenes maneuvers sucked me in from the start, although fictional this legal drama sounded real to me. I was captivated by the setting, Portland Oregon, where it seems you can pull off random murders, well at less according to this thriller. Mr. Margolin knows how to spin a case where the stakes are high and the truth is elusive, where fact twists the case in all directions, he surely does that with aplomb. Maybe trial attorneys can poke holes into this story but I think following the antics was exciting and suspenseful. I agree with some who think the Russian mafia connection is weak and really didn’t ring true, but what the heck it made for a very captivating read.

Definitely this story is characters driven. With its snappy dialogue and short chapters to help push things along, I was eager to see how this case would turn out.

It is a page turner no doubt in my books.

This is a good novel and one of Mr. Margolin I enjoyed the best.

Another excellent book I received from St-Martin Press via Netgalley