Forgotten Bones - Mystery Review

Goodreads:  Forgotten Bones (Dead Remaining #1) by Vivian Barz

Rating:  Good
Source: Publisher

Description:  When small-town police officers discover the grave of a young boy, they’re quick to pin the crime on a convicted felon who lives nearby. But when it comes to murder, Officer Susan Marlan never trusts a simple explanation, so she’s just getting started.
Meanwhile, college professor Eric Evans hallucinates a young boy in overalls: a symptom of his schizophrenia—or so he thinks. But when more bodies turn up, Eric has more visions, and they mirror details of the murder case. As the investigation continues, the police stick with their original conclusion, but Susan’s instincts tell her something is off. The higher-ups keep stonewalling her, and the FBI’s closing in.

Desperate for answers, Susan goes rogue and turns to Eric for help. Together they take an unorthodox approach to the case as the evidence keeps getting stranger. With Eric’s hallucinations intensifying and the body count rising, can the pair separate truth from illusion long enough to catch a monster?

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  This premise reminds me a bit of a TV show I used to like (I think it was Perception?  Whatever it was called it was on TNT a few years back)

My Impression:  I have some mixed feelings about this one.  For starters I really liked the characters.  Susan is smart and tough but still human and likable and I sympathized with Eric and liked him.  I found it to be an interesting combination of personalities and the mystery was really interesting.  It was very readable and the author did a great job of making the characters and the setting really come alive.

BUT, there's a LOT of setup.  Like a lot.  It took almost half the book for Eric and Susan to become the crime fighting duo I was hoping for.  Prior to that (and some during) we get a lot about Eric's divorce and dealing with his illness as well as Susan's struggles with internal politics.  All of this pushed the mystery out of focus at times and made the book just feel too long.  Because it is a fairly complicated setup I see why this had to happen but I feel like I'll enjoy the 2nd book quite a bit more because hopefully there will be more focus on the mystery.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I'll definitely be looking for the 2nd book in this series as I think there's so much potential for this series and I'm curious to see how it continues.

Would I Recommend this Book?  I think I'll wait for the 2nd book before I really recommend it but if you mentally prepare yourself for all the setup and side story I think you'll enjoy it.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

Ten Summery Covers I Love

This week's topic over at Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl is about cover re-dos.  I love this topic but am terrible at keeping track of old covers and new covers and which ones I originally loved but hated the re-dos.  So for today I'm sticking with Summery Covers that I've enjoyed this summer.

1.  The Lost Vintage by Ann Mah - I just finished this one and loved the cover.  Something about the cover just says summer to me.

2.  A Beach Wish by Shelley Noble - Noble always has the best covers and this one is no different.

3.  The Sisters Hemingway by  Annie England Noblin - I love this going off in the sunshine look to this cover.  If this was a slightly more functional family I'd think they were going off for a picnic.

4.  The Goodbye Cafe by Mariah Stewart - It looks like it's hot in this photo but what a nice way to spend a hot day!

5.  The Islanders by Meg Mitchell Moore - Another hot looking day but this looks a little more angsty.

6.  No More Time by Suzanne M. Trauth - This one is pretty obvious I think!  I really love the idea of picnics on the beach but in reality it's never quite lived up to the vision!

7.  Suddenly One Summer by Julie James - This is another better in my imagination than reality.  I love the idea of of walking along the edge of the water but in reality that blue dress would be soaked at least knee high.

8.  Under Currents by Nora Roberts - This is a little different than the cover I have on my copy of this book but I like this one a little better.

9.  The Summer of Sunshine and Margot by Susan Mallery - I kind of burned out on Mallery years ago but lately I've been reading and loving her kind of stand alone women's fiction-y kind of books and this looks gorgeous.

10.  The Beautiful Strangers by Camille Di Maio - I really want to read this author and this book is especially calling to me and this one is set in the Hotel del Coronado in Southern California which is on my list of places we are staying when we finally make it out west.

What are some of your favorite covers this summer?

Reviews from the Children's Section - Thursdays with the Crown

One of my favorite genres and one that is the easiest for me to push aside is middle grade fiction. This year to make sure I get a little more children's and young adult fiction I thought I would designate the first Monday of every month Middle Grade Monday (though sometimes it doesn't end up working quite right) .  While a lot of my picks this year are classics I am trying to branch out a little bit and read new or at least recent releases.  This month's book is the third in a series I've really been enjoying - Thursdays with the Crown by Jessica Day George 

Thursdays with the Crown (Castle Glower #3) by Jessica Day George 

Blurb:  Castle Glower has been acting weird, so it’s no surprise when two towers transport Celie and her siblings to an unknown land. When they realize that no one from home is coming to get them, the kids – along with Celie’s pet griffin Rufus – set out through the forest to figure out where they are and what’s happened to their beloved Castle. Instead, they discover two wizards and an entire lost people, the oldest inhabitants of Castle Glower. And it seems they may know more of the Castle’s secrets than Celie. But do they know how to get her back home?
This bestselling series continues with the story of the origin of Castle Glower. Readers who’ve been enchanted by the Castle’s moving walls will be delighted by the Castle’s rich and magical history.

My Thoughts:  This is a really delightful series and perfect for children who are interested in trying Harry Potter but aren't quite ready for the dark themes of the later books or the rather daunting page count.  There's magic, action, suspense, and griffins.  I really enjoyed that in this book Celie, her siblings, and friends are out on their own with only their own wits and their griffins (and an occasional touch of magic) to help them.  I really liked that we saw a little more depth to Celie's sister Lilah's character.  In the past she's been a bit prim and proper but in this book she showed a bit more grit without ever losing her character.  While I had no problem going quite some time between the first book and the second I do wish I had read this book closer to reading the second as it took me a bit to remember who everyone was and what had happened.  I won't wait as long to read the 4th. 

As a parent I think this would be great for ages 7 and above.  There isn't really any scary imagery to bother the more sensitive readers but there's enough action to keep everyone captivated.  As an adult it is well written enough to keep me entertained.  This would be a perfect bedtime story book or a family road trip audio book because I think everyone young and old would enjoy it.

This Week in Reading - August 4

It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

What I Got:

The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey - I've read Tey's Daughter of Time a number of times but am not sure I ever read this one.  When I found it in used bookstore it had to come home with me.  (Purchased)

Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey - Pretty much same as above (Purchased)

The Bat by Mary Roberts Rinehart - I was very much on a classic mystery kick at my last used bookstore visit and Rinehart is an author I really want to read more of.  (Purchased)

The Haunted Lady by Mary Roberts Rinehart - See above (Purchased)

Murder, Served Simply by Isabella Alan - I can't remember much about this cozy other than it sounded nice and the food descriptions sounded amazing.  Apparently you shouldn't grocery shop OR bookshop while starving.  (Purchased)

Death in St. Petersburg by Tasha Alexander - I've been wanting to read this author for awhile and the cover on this one was gorgeous so I couldn't pass it up.  (Purchased)

The Oysterville Sewing Circle by Susan Wiggs - I love Susan Wiggs and this one looks a little different but with the same qualities that I always enjoy from her books. 

Currently:

Reading:  The Lost Vintage by Ann Mah and Terns of Endearment by Donna Andrews

Listening:  The Secret Sister by Brenda Novak

Watching:  We haven't watched too much TV this week or movies either.

Off the Blog:

Like everyone I was so saddened to read of the passing of Grace from Rebel Mommy Book Blog.  She's been such a presence in the book blogging world for so long and it was only recently most of us were living vicariously through her visit to BEA.  There's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said and said better but I will miss her dearly and I couldn't let her passing go unacknowledged. 

We're out of town this weekend trying to get in some last minute relaxing before school starts (we get out in mid-May but go back in early August and have a few decent breaks scattered about in between).  But hopefully I'll be around visiting on Monday and catching up everyone.

On the Blog:

What Happened:

Monday:  And Then There Were Crumbs - Cozy Mystery Review
Tuesday:  Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books I'd Have on My Read-a-Thon TBR
Wednesday:  The Duke is But a Dream - Historical Romance Review
Thursday:  Books from the Backlog - Withering Heights
Friday:  Friday Fives - August Reads
Saturday:  Reading in June and July

What's Coming Up:

Monday:  Reviews from the Children's Section - Thursdays with the Crown
Tuesday:  Summery Covers
Wednesday:  Forgotten Bones - Mystery Review
Thursday:  The Lost Vintage - Fiction Review
Friday: Friday Fives
Saturday: TBD

Have a great week and happy reading!

Reading in June and July

I thought May was a rough month for reading but it had nothing on June and July!  Nothing really terrible happened but between school being out and health issues and a few other things it was a scattered couple of months.  I did do a good push at the end of July and my audio book reading went up quite a bit.  I did some rereads which really boosted my reading and just my enjoyment of reading and I think August is off to a good start!

Month's Theme:  It was supposed to be family and then beach but that really didn't happen.

Books Read in June and July: 20 - 14 of those were in July

My Favorite Review Read:  Either Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter or The Pawful Truth by Miranda James.  Very very different books but both books that I really flew through.

My Favorite TBR Read:  Either Watching You by Lisa Jewell or What We Find by Robyn Carr.  Both were really fantastic audio reads.

Book Read That Has Been on My TBR the Longest:  A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle.  I have the audio collection read by Stephen Fry who does a fantastic job.

Biggest Disappoint:  Ten Years a Nomad by Matthew Kepnes.  This just wasn't the book I wanted it to be.  I was looking for a travel memoir and this was more introspective on why the author travels and what he gets out of it.

How was your summer reading?

Friday Fives - August Reads

I'm taking a bit of a break from my usual Friday Linkups to try something a little different.  Michelle over at Because Reading is Better Than Real Life   used to do a Five on Fridays that I always enjoyed and I've seen a few other variations on the theme.  As well I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd give start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much.  Since this is the first Friday in August I'm picking out 5 books from my TBR to read this month.  For the month of August my theme is farming so I'm looking for books connected to that.

1.  The $64 Tomato:  How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent A Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden by William Alexander - I love this title and it sounds like a fun read.  I know nothing about this book but couldn't resist it when I came across it in a used bookstore.

2.  Golden Malicious by Sheila Connolly - This was one of the first cozy mystery series that I really fell in love with but I'm a bit behind.

3.  Crops and Robbers by Paige Shelton - I read the first two years ago and would like to keep going with the series.  Plus anything that makes me want fresh fruits and veggies instead of baked goods is always a win.

4.  No Farm, No Foul by Peg Cochran - This is a series that looks pretty entertaining and is an author I've enjoyed before.

5.  Going Organic Can Kill You by Staci McLaughlin - I remember pre-ordering this one but I don't remember exactly why but it sounds like a good read.

Books from the Backlog - Withering Heights

Today I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books for Books from the Backlog.  I really enjoy the chance to feature a book that's been hiding in the piles of books for far too long! This week's book is kind of a random one but it looks fun!

Goodreads:  Withering Heights by Dorothy Cannell

Blurb:  Ellie Haskell, sleuth and Gothic romance addict, visits Yorkshire moors Cragstone House with her husband Ben and sidekick Mrs Roxie Malloy, on behalf of his young cousin Ariel. The kindly cook Mrs. Cake fell downstairs, a visiting vicar dies drinking tea, and one of the neighbors is a glamorous old flame of Mrs Cake's husband.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I picked this one up on a whim at a used bookstore and it sounds like fun plus the pun-ish title is fantastic.