I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists. Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. This week I'm sharing 5 quick reviews for books I've read recently.
1. Legend in Green Velvet by Elizabeth Peters - This may be my favorite of the standalone Peters books that I've read so far. I loved the Scottish setting and the relationship between Susan and Jamie. The mix of Susan's love for Scottish history and Jamie's disinterest was fun and the way Jamie's looks were used was really fun. The mystery was a good one but got a bit lost in the chaos of all the escapes - which were so fun I didn't really feel the loss. My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
2. This Fallen Prey by Kelley Armstrong - This is the third book in the Rockton series. I love the setup here with the town of people hiding for whatever reason who must survive essentially on their own. The addition of a new person caused quite a bit of chaos and was an interesting plot device. Armstrong is fantastic at pacing and this was no exception. My only issue - which is very much a case of it's not you it's me - was the level of violence in this one particularly with incidents involving animals. It was borderline too much for me which impacted my enjoyment of the read. I don't mind some violence but the animal addition and just the constant presence made this book not the most ideal read for me. I will read another book in this series but if it continues in the same vein I don't think this series is for me. My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)
3. Herbal Homicide by Fiona Grace - This the first book in the Penny Hawthorne series and I loved the premise. Herbalist and tea shop owner, Penny Hawthorne, goes to Switzerland to create a line of teas for a resort and gets involved in a murder investigation. Unfortunately, it just didn't work for me. Other than occasional mentions of skiing it was very easy to forget where the book was set. As well, Penny seemed oddly famous in Switzerland for a shop owner in New England. If she was famous for her botanical work there was no real explanation of that. Despite all that the mystery wasn't bad and it was entertaining overall. What knocked it down a star was the fact I listened to the audio which was read by an AI voice. The inconsistencies of tone, inflection, and emotional nuance where distracting as well as the random mispronunciations. I will be more careful to avoid AI voices in the future. My Rating: Just Okay (2 Stars)
4. Summer Hours at the Robbers Library by Sue Halpern - The cover and the title pulled me in so I really didn't know too much about the plot going in. It starts off with the beginning of the backstory of one of the characters that was a bit off-putting at first and I almost DNF'd it. I'm glad I didn't! Once I got through the first chapter I got to know Kit and Sonny and Rusty and all the other characters that live in the world of the library in small town New Hampshire. Things are not easy and nothing ends wrapped up nicely in a bow but I really enjoyed the characters growth through the book. I even enjoyed the backstory as it was woven into the story. The audio is very well done and this is an author I would definitely read again. It is kind of a quiet story that handles big topics with characters I found easy to like and to connect with. My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
5. A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson - This was my second book by Peter Swanson and I thoroughly enjoyed this wild ride of a story! Every time I thought I had what was going to happen next pinned down it would take a sharp turn. But with all the twists and turn the story never got confusing and the development made sense. I discovered after I had started it that this is actually the third book in the series featuring Harry Kimball and Lily Kintner. There may be some spoilers for the past two books but I had absolutely no issue jumping in with this one. Their previous relationship had no bearing on the mystery and their past history is explained easily and without an info dump. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and am looking forward to reading more of this author. The audiobook was nicely done with multiple narrators. My Rating: Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)
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