Mini-Review: The Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn

Partners now in marriage and in trade, Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane have finally returned from abroad to set up housekeeping in London. But merging their respective collections of gadgets, pets and servants leaves little room for the harried newlyweds themselves, let alone Brisbane's private enquiry business.

Among the more unlikely clients: Julia's very proper brother, Lord Bellmont, who swears Brisbane to secrecy about his case. Not about to be left out of anything concerning her beloved—if eccentric—family, spirited Julia soon picks up the trail of the investigation.

It leads to the exclusive Ghost Club, where the alluring Madame Séraphine holds evening séances…and not a few powerful gentlemen in thrall. From this eerie enclave unfolds a lurid tangle of dark deeds, whose tendrils crush reputations and throttle trust.

Shocked to find their investigation spun into salacious newspaper headlines, bristling at the tension it causes between them, the Brisbanes find they must unite or fall. For Bellmont's sakeâ € “ and moreâ € “ they'll face myriad dangers born of dark secrets, the kind men kill to keep….

The Dark Enquiry is the fifth book in the Lady Julia Grey series. First of all I’m not sure the title of the fifth book really reflects the content. I would have liked something more impactful. I absolutely LOVED this installment to the series. There is much protectiveness, tenderness and growth between Julia and Brisbane. Their marriage is put front and center, although Brisbane is still hiding many secrets. Julia has taken up a new hobby, or rather Brisbane has channeled Julia's energy into a hobby so he doesn't have to rescue her from getting into trouble all the time.

Even though the antagonist’s and their motivations can be worked out with some thought, there are still quite a few surprises. The part of the story with Julia confronting the antagonist is a bit too coincidental for my liking but this does not detract too much from the story as a whole. There is a particular sentence that struck me deeply, although I’m not going to give any backstory, as it may lean too much toward a spoiler, but I love the way Deanna Raybourn uses metaphors.

"I was wandering through a garden, a beautiful place, with the most exquisite blossoms. And as I put a hand to smell one, it closed, furling its petals tightly against me. I moved to the next flower, and it did the same, and it happened again and again until I reached the garden gate. I passed through and closed the gate, looking back to see the sea of blossoms, nodding sleepily on their stems. I locked the gate firmly behind me and walked on. I did not look back again."

Now you'll just have to read the story to understand what that quote means! I recommend reading the series in order...The Dark Inquiry is not really a standalone. Raybourn is working on a sixth instalment to the series.

My Rating: 5.0

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Related Posts:
Mini-Review: Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn
Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn
Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn

Mini-Review: Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn

The fourth Lady Julia Grey mystery (following Silent on the Moor, 2009) finds Julia happily married to handsome, brooding detective Nicholas Brisbane. Their honeymoon is interrupted by her sister Portia and brother Plum, who want Julia and her new husband to come to India, where Portia’s former lover, Jane Cavendish, is living on the tea plantation her recently deceased husband, Freddie, inherited. Freddie died under mysterious circumstances, and Jane suspects he may have been murdered for his inheritance. Jane is pregnant, and she fears her child will be in danger if it proves to be a boy. Despite her husband’s objections, Julia decides to investigate Freddie’s murder, getting to know the potential suspects, including Freddie’s spinster aunt, his cousin Harry, several neighbors, and a mysterious man known as the White Rajah. As Julia closes in on the killer, she uncovers more than a few family secrets.

In this installment, I don’t feel that Julia or Brisbane advanced much as characters or in their marriage though there is still great chemistry in their exchanges. Many significant events happened with secondary characters, such as Jane, Portia and Plum and many new characters were introduced. There are the usual incidents of Julia’s curiosity getting her into trouble and Brisbane coming to the rescue. The setting of India gives an exotic underpinning and the cultural aspects were interesting. Somehow either because of the setting of India or maybe it was all the new characters, Dark Road to Darjeeling just did not work as well for me as the earlier instalments in the series. Raybourn does excellent character building though...maybe there was just too many extra characters for my personal tastes. The ending is a complete shocker and left me wanting more, so this series is still one of my favourites and I look forward to the next book.

The next instalment in the series, Book 5, is The Dark Enquiry. 

My Rating: 4.0

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Related Posts:
Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn
Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn

Mr & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy by Sharon Lathan

A couple of years ago I became obsessed with Austen fan fiction, a brief intense period in which I immersed myself in everything Austen (I recall at the same time Masterpiece Classic was releasing new series versions of a few Austen classics), though eventually I think I burnt myself out and I haven't really focused on it much since...though I do have a nice collection of Austen titles and fan fiction. I think the genre has become saturated and quality has suffered. Seriously, I will never be caught reading Pride & Prejudice and Zombies and I am so glad my favourite actor Natalie Portman decided not to take the lead role).  Recently though another series caught my attention in blog posts (mainly because of the book covers), which is Sharon Lathan's Darcy Saga.

I hold the Pamela Aidan Fitzwilliam Darcy - Gentleman series as the pinnacle of Austen fan fiction, which followed the same storyline as the original Pride & Prejudice, but from Darcy's point of view. I was expecting a lot from the Sharon Lathan series, my first foray in Austen fan fiction after a long drought) but after reading the first novel I admit I am bit gobsmacked. Usually I do some research on ratings and recommendations before I purchase books but I have to admit I didn't do so for this series and I wish I had. I'm not really sure how to proceed with reviewing the novel, in order to be fair and not give away any spoilers. For further reviews I suggest visiting LibraryThing. Here are a few observations that may be helpful in deciding whether you would want to read the series:

• The novels follow the Darcy's directly after their wedding.
• There is a lot of description about the Pemberley estate, manor and history of Darcy's family. 
• New characters are brought into the story.
• Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy contains a lot of romantic language and scenes of intimacy. (I am not a overtly romantic person but I do think I have sensitivity and the quantity of these moments and the verbosity of the characters frankly made me uncomfortable, something that takes quite a lot to do!) 
• The peak of the story, all the action, comes in the last chapters of the book.
• The novel is romance not literature.
• Indirectly offers lessons in romance: when, where, why, and how often to say "I love you".
• The book covers are certainly pretty.

Well, I purchased the series all at once with a Christmas gift card, so they are there sitting on the shelf, so I suppose they will all get read one day (maybe). I think for me that's it for now with Austen fan fiction...but for those who can't get enough please look to the Pamela Aidan series and Syrie James' The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen.

My Rating: 2.5

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Related Posts:
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Rigler
Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange

Darcy's Story by Janet Aylmer

Mini Reviews for The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown and Altar of Eden of James Rollins

I read two action adventure novels recently, that I have a few lingering thoughts about.  What do you expect out of action adventure fiction? Yes, I want to be thrilled and I want fast-paced action. I want to learn something, or be taken to somewhere around the world I have never heard of or thought about before...but I also want relationships developing between characters.  Is this too much to ask for in action adventure novels with all the other elements packed in? I don't think so, but its often what seems to be lacking.

Also can I just say I DESPISE this new book size for mass market paperbacks...first they had to introduce the tall format which ruined the consistent height of my collections and the spacing between my bookshelves but now they have this extra wide and shorter format, more squarish.  Don't the publishers realize they are antagonizing their readers by introducing these new sizes...I try not to buy these when at all possible.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object -artfully encoded with five symbols-is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation . . . one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.

When Langdon''s beloved mentor, Peter Solomon-a prominent Mason and philanthropist -is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations-all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.
 
The most surprising thing about The Lost Symbol for me was unrelated to the content of the book...its actually amazingly long at over 600 pages...but look more critically and you will see that the chapters are short, very short.  I really dislike this format...making the chapters short to somehow make the book feel more fast-paced. Yes, the whole premise about the Masons and the inclusion of The Smithsonian was quite interesting but the ending dragged on a bit too much with this fluffy, rosy, bright hopefulness (I don't mind sappy but it seemed over the top for me). With all those pages you would think Robert Langdon would develop relationships with other characters but he doesn't...though I guess this is hard to do when a whole storyline falls within only a few hours. Still, its what I love about reading, the development of character's relationships...which was singularly lacking in The Lost Symbol.  There were interesting ideas and themes in The Lost Symbol, so if you like action adventure novels I would recommend reading it.

My Rating: 4.0

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Altar of Eden by James Rollins

Baghdad falls . . . and armed men are seen looting the city zoo. Amid a hail of bullets, a concealed underground lab is ransacked—and something horrific is set loose upon the world.

Seven years later, Louisiana state veterinarian Lorna Polk investigates an abandoned shipwrecked fishing trawler carrying exotic caged animals, part of a black market smuggling ring. But there is something disturbingly wrong with these beasts—each an unsettling mutation of the natural order, all sharing one uncanny trait: incredibly heightened intelligence. 

Joining forces with U.S. Border Patrol Agent Jack Menard—a man who shares with her a dark and bloody past—Lorna sets out to uncover the truth about this strange cargo and the terrorist threat it poses. Because a beast escaped the shipwreck and is running amok—and what is about to be born upon the altar of Eden could threaten not only the future of the world but the very foundation of what it means to be human.

I have mentioned many times that novels with themes of technology and science rock my world and James Rollins is one of my absolute favorite action/adventure authors who incorporates these themes. Normally I'm enraptured by the scientific theories Rollins includes in his novels, but in Altar of Eden I felt I was at times being lectured to about the science rather the than the story evolving from the science (this was even more apparent after comparing Altar of Eden to Awakening by S. J. Bolton, which incorporates scientific knowledge as well, but with a more natural feel than in this novel). Maybe it was because Altar of Eden was a departure from Rollins' Sigma series that I felt this way. Other than this aspect of the novel though, I appreciated the story even though it was a bit more far out than usual for Rollins. The main characters were multi-faceted, interesting, resourceful and pulled at my emotions. Read if you are a Rollins fan but if you have never read Rollins before, I would not start with this novel.

My Rating: 4.0

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Related Posts:
The Doomsday Key by James Rollins
The Last Oracle by James Rollins
Ice Hunt by James Rollins
Deep Fathom by James Rollins
Subterranean by James Rollins

Deeds of the Disturber by Elizabeth Peters

Can fear kill? There are those who believe so--but Amelia Peabody is skeptical. A respected Egyptologist and amateur sleuth, Amelia has foiled felonious schemes from Victoria's England to the Middle East. And she doubts that it was a Nineteenth-Dynasty mummy's curse that caused the death of a night watchman in the British Museum. The corpse was found sprawled in the mummy's shadow, a look of terror frozen on the guard's face. What--or who--killed the unfortunate man is a mystery that seems too intriguingly delicious for Amelia to pass up, especially now that she, her dashing archaeologist husband, Emerson, and their precocious son, Ramses, are back on Britain's shores. But a contemporary curse can be as lethal as one centuries old--and the foggy London thoroughfares can be as treacherous as the narrow, twisting alleyways of Cairo after dark--when a perpetrator of evil deeds sets his murderous sights on his relentless pursuer . . . Amelia Peabody

Deeds of the Disturber did not recommend itself to me as well as the previous novels in the series. The setting of this installment was London, not very exciting compared to the wonderfully described desert and Cairo scenes of Egypt in the past novels. Many of the secondary characters were just not likeable or very interesting. The continual overt battle of wills between Amelia and Emerson diluted the usual sparkling banter between them.  The story had fits of starts and sections that seemed to drag on.  I also guessed a crucial element of the story early on which ruined my enjoyment.

But I did learn another new word...ratiocinative!

In my opinion, events in Deeds of the Disturber did not advance the Amelia Peabody series significantly.  A good read but does not have the vibrancy of the earlier efforts in the series.

My Rating: 3.5

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Related Posts: 
The Mummy Case by Elizabeth Peters
Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters
Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters

GIVEAWAY and Review: A Royal Likeness by Christine Trent

As heiress to the famous Laurent Fashion Dolls business, Marguerite Ashby’s future seems secure. But France still seethes with violence in the wake of the Revolution. And when Marguerite’s husband Nicholas is killed during a riot at their shop, she leaves home vowing never to return. Instead, the young widow travels to Edinburgh and joins her old friend, Marie Tussaud, who has established a touring wax exhibition.

Under the great Tussaud’s patient instruction, Marguerite learns to mold wax into stunningly lifelike creations. When Prime Minister William Pitt commissions a wax figure of military hero Admiral Nelson, Marguerite becomes immersed in a dangerous adventure—and earns the admiration of two very different men. And as Britain battles to overthrow Napoleon and flush out spies against the Crown, Marguerite will find her own loyalties, and her heart, under fire from all sides.

With wit, flair, and a masterful eye for telling details, Christine Trent brings one of history’s most fascinating eras to vibrant life in an unforgettable story of desire, ambition, treachery, and courage.

I was impressed with Christine Trent's debut The Queen's Dollmaker in early 2010.  The novel appealed to me because it featured a strong, independent heroine with the unique employment of being an artist and entrepreneur in dollmaking. I am equally as impressed with Trent's sophomore release A Royal Likeness. Marguerite is a sympathetic character and it was a great pleasure to read about her escapades. I had planned on reading the book over a couple days but once I started reading I couldn't put it down and stayed up to the wee hours of the morning to finish it!!

A Royal Likeness combines history of the Napoleonic Era, including fascinating details about the Battle of Trafalgar, an abundance of adventure and intrigue, and a good dose of romantic interest.  The novel stands on its own, although I do recommend reading The Queen's Dollmaker first, to better understand the enmity between Marguerite and her husband's mother and brother, Maude and Nathaniel Ashby, two characters easy to dislike intensely. I also recommend reading The Queen's Dollmaker so you can meet the hero and heroine of that novel, Claudette and William, who appear in A Royal Likeness.

Marguerite's naivety and preoccupation with overcoming the grief from the loss of her husband gets her into a bit of trouble, ok more than bit, but she soon learns to become independent and face challenges with courage and determination. I would like to mention the hijinks Maurguerite gets up to, but I think this would spoil the story a bit so I will refrain. The author gives this character more adventure than she ever expected, when all she was trying to do was survive the death of her beloved husband.

For me, Christine Trent's novels stand out from others through attention to the details. Beyond the historical content, I learned things about ships I never knew before and the process of wax modeling was fascinating. I highly recommend this novel if you love quality historical fiction, adventure and intrigue, and original characters. Christine Trent's next novel is The Prince's Pavilion, to be released in 2012 by Kensington Books.

My Rating: 4.5

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**GIVEAWAY**

Christine Trent is generously providing a copy of A Royal Likeness for giveaway. To enter please leave a comment on this post.  The contest is open to International entries.

One entry for leaving a comment on this post.  Please include your email address.
One entry if you are a Follower of this blog.
Two entries if you post about this contest on your own blog.

Please include how many entries you have in your comment on this post (if you post about this contest on your blog please include the link in your comment on this post).

The entry deadline is Friday, January 21st 11:59 PM MST. 
The winner will be announced Saturday, January 22nd. 

Good Luck!!!

Related Posts
Christine Trent's Upcoming Sophomore Release - A Royal Likeness
The Queen's Dollmaker by Christine Trent

The Scarlet Pimpernel - Classic Novel and A&E Miniseries

So over the holidays I had myself a bit of a Scarlet Pimpernel marathon.  I read the classic novel by Baroness Orczy and then watched the 1999 A&E six-part TV miniseries featuring Richard Grant and Elizabeth McGovern. Notwithstanding, I have watched the original 1934 The Scarlet Pimpernel movie starring Leslie Howard over half a dozen times, my favourite film version.

Simply brilliant.  Two words that sum up the novel. I cannot believe it has taken me so long to read this classic novel but it was absolutely wonderful. The only thing wrong with the novel is that it was too darn short! I mourned the ending of the adventure. There are sequels (and prequels) to the original story but I am content to have read just The Scarlet Pimpernel and no farther, which I will explain why in a bit more detail below.

Orczy was brilliant at characterization...contrasting mannerisms and speech of characters from different strata of society in England and in France.  The adventure is taut and rollicking and the longings of Percy and Marguerite wrap around your heart. Though short in length, the book has many nuances of emotion and thoughts by the characters, adding dimension to the story that is lacking in the film versions. For instance, in film versions it never comes across that Marguerite is an intellectual, as well as an actress, but that is how she is described by Baroness Orczy.

I think the miniseries is enjoyable in the context of the events of the French Revolution, though I venture the miniseries is not entirely accurate. As to staying true to the plot and relationships in the novel, the miniseries takes many, many liberties, which I think is unfortunate. There are many surprising events happening, many of which I did not agree with, which has decided me not to continue to read any more novels in the series, to preserve my pleasure of The Scarlet Pimpernel novel. Now having read the book, gaining more understanding about the motivations of all the characters, I appreciate the story even more and rank it as one of my all time favourite story concepts.

My favourite quote from the 1999 A&E TV miniseries is when Sir William Wetherby says to Percy, "More pimp than Pimpernel, what".  I laughed hysterically...In the last episode Sir Percy plays at a bit of matchmaking...    

I have watched The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) many times, each time enjoying it as much as the first time. The 1934 version captures the intensity, fraught emotions and sweetness of love renewed imparted in the novel. So I highly recommend the novel by Baroness Orczy and The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) movie but only recommend the A&E TV miniseries (1999) version for those you interested in another perspective of the French Revolution and a bit of adventure.

My Rating - Novel: 4.5
My Rating - A&E Miniseries: 3.0

Novel
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Amazon.com This Amazon edition is enriched with notes and commentary.

A&E Miniseries
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"A Bibliophile Mystery" Series by Kate Carlisle

So being in library school I thought it would be appropriate to highlight a book-related mystery series (A Bibliophile Mystery series) by Kate Carlisle that I have recently added to my Absolutely Must Acquire list. All the books in the series look highly recommended from the reviews I have read...looking forward to reading and reviewing!

The Lies That Bind

To Be Released in MMP November 2, 2010

Book restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright returns home to San Francisco to teach a bookbinding class. Unfortunately, the program director Layla Fontaine is a horrendous host who pitches fits and lords over her subordinates. But when Layla is found shot dead, Brooklyn is bound and determined to investigate-even as the killer tries to close the book on her for good. 

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If Books Could Kill

MMP Release February 2, 2010

Murder is easy-on paper.

Book restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright is attending the world- renowned Book Fair when her ex Kyle shows up with a bombshell. He has an original copy of a scandalous text that could change history-and humiliate the beloved British monarchy. 

When Kyle turns up dead, the police are convinced Brooklyn's the culprit. But with an entire convention of suspects, Brooklyn's conducting her own investigation to find out if the motive for murder was a 200-year-old secret-or something much more personal.

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Homicide in Hardcover

MMP Release February 3, 2009

Murder is always a bestseller...first in the new bibliophile mystery series! 

The streets of San Francisco would be lined with hardcovers if rare book expert Brooklyn Wainwright had her way. And her mentor would not be lying in a pool of his own blood on the eve of a celebration for his latest book restoration.

With his final breath he leaves Brooklyn a cryptic message, and gives her a priceless and supposedly cursed copy of Goetheas "Faust" for safekeeping. 

Brooklyn suddenly finds herself accused of murder and theft, thanks to the humorless but attractive British security officer who finds her kneeling over the body. Now she has to read the clues left behind by her mentor if she is going to restore justice.

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Fantasy in Death by J.D. Robb

They were best friends, driven by one shared vision - to rule the world of virtual reality games. Cill, hard-edged and beautiful, Var and Benny, brains and business acumen, and Bart, the genius behind the idea. Their newest invention, developed to transport the player into a fantastical virtual world, is just about to be launched. Then, suddenly, Bart is found brutally killed, defeated by their own game. Their close-knit group is torn apart. Who could have engineered a virtual death with such devastating consequences? Even Eve Dallas, New York City's most cunning investigator, is hard-pressed for an answer. But as she digs deeper, peeling back layers of secrets, revenge and misplaced allegiances, she realises with growing dread the depth of the killer's master plan. And she knows his game is far from over...

In Fantasy in Death the majority the progression of the storyline seemed too staged for me and some of the dialogue too canned. Since the victim has his head cut off there was quite a few one liners about being beheaded, detached, etc., and these just seemed unnecessary filler and silly. The scant action and overabundance of discussion made the plot stutter a bit, but the last 75 pages or so made up for the slow start. A lot of the ideas on "holonetics" were pretty frosty, as Peabody would say, and I found this aspect and the theories of the science, fictional and otherwise, super interesting. Fantasy in Death did not really reveal anything new about Eve and Roarke's relationship, other than that they would rather die together than have one of them live on after the other's death. I would recommend Fantasy in Death to fans of the series and those who have interest in gaming systems.

Next up in the In Death series is Indulgence in Death, to be released in hardcover on November 2, 2010.

My Rating: 4.0

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Related Posts
The Lost (Anthology)
Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb
Promises in Death by J.D. Robb
Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb
Naked in Death by J.D. Robb

The Lost (Anthology)

"Missing in Death" by J.D. Robb investigates a female tourist's disappearance during a ferry ride. Detective Eve Dallas wonders...if she didn't jump, and she's not on board, then where in the world is she? 

Eve makes a very difficult decision that goes against the rules she is supposed to abide by being in law enforcement. Sometimes the line between victim and criminal is blurred. Solid novella I highly recommend to J.D. Robb fans. My Rating: 4.25/5

In Patricia Gaffney's "The Dog Days of Laurie Summer," a woman awakens to a familiar yet unsettling world.

My first Patricia Gaffney story. This novella was very unexpected in that the soul of Laurie leaves her comatose body to inhabit a dog so she can still be near her family. Unique perspective and voice.  My Rating: 3.5/5

In Mary Blayney's "Lost in Paradise," a man locked in an island fortress finds hope for freedom in an enigmatic nurse.

Lost in Paradise was the weakest novella in the collection for me. It started too abruptly, the story felt forced and the religious undertones were overly pretentious. My Rating: 2.0/5

And Ruth Ryan Langan's "Legacy" belongs to a young woman who unearths a family secret buried on the grounds of a magnificent but imposing Irish castle.

Legacy is a very solid story that manages to develop credible relationships between Aidan and other characters she meets for the first time, in a handle full of days. Usually I find such rapid relationship development hard to accept, but in Legacy the story is very believable and this is fiction after all. My Rating: 4.25/5

In a novella either a relationship has to evolve in a credible way, or the story has to have impact and resolution, or a crime must be committed and solved...and in only 90 pages at that. A successful novella is hard to achieve and very difficult perfect. Anthologies seem to be published more abundantly now than in years past and, as its mainly a tool to introduce lesser known authors to readers, its difficult to get value for money.  I would recommend waiting for Missing in Death to be repacked with other J.D. Robb novellas or buy the ebook if available rather than spend your money on The Lost.

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Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb
Promises in Death by J.D. Robb
Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb
Naked in Death by J.D. Robb

Christine Trent's Upcoming Sophomore Release - A Royal Likeness

Last year, I was fortunate enough to receive a galley copy of Christine Trent's debut effort The Queen's Dollmaker. I loved The Queen's Dollmaker for its originality and cleverness; the story of Claudette Laurent, an entrepreneurial and strong willed frenchwoman who grows her business of dollmaking in England and comes to the notice of Marie Antoinette. If you have have not read the novel yet and have interest in the French Revolution I highly recommend it. There's much more to the story than the brief explanation above, so check out my review.

Christine Trent's next release is A Royal Likeness (a much more beguiling title than the original working title of The Wax Apprentice). I'm not that much of a fan of covers where the lady's head is cut off (can someone tell me why the industry favours this?) but this cover is gorgeous and if similar to The Queen's Dollmaker, will show the lady's face on the spine. A Royal Likeness is a sequel of sorts to The Queen's Dollmaker - this is Marguerite Ashby's story. Marguerite apprenticed to Claudette Laurent and eventually took over the management of the dollmaking shop.

As heiress to the famous Laurent Fashion Dolls business, Marguerite Ashby’s future seems secure. But France still seethes with violence in the wake of the Revolution. And when Marguerite’s husband Nicholas is killed during a riot at their shop, she leaves home vowing never to return. Instead, the young widow travels to Edinburgh and joins her old friend, Marie Tussaud, who has established a touring wax exhibition.

Under the great Tussaud’s patient instruction, Marguerite learns to mold wax into stunningly lifelike creations. When Prime Minister William Pitt commissions a wax figure of military hero Admiral Nelson, Marguerite becomes immersed in a dangerous adventure—and earns the admiration of two very different men. And as Britain battles to overthrow Napoleon and flush out spies against the Crown, Marguerite will find her own loyalties, and her heart, under fire from all sides.

With wit, flair, and a masterful eye for telling details, Christine Trent brings one of history’s most fascinating eras to vibrant life in an unforgettable story of desire, ambition, treachery, and courage.

Release Date: December 28, 2010
Format: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Kensington
Pages: 384
ISBN: 0758238584
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Related Posts
The Queen's Dollmaker by Christine Trent

Upcoming Releases On My Auto Buy List

The fifth installment in the Lady Emily Ashton-Hargreaves series by Tasha Alexander, Dangerous to Know, to be released in hardcover October 26, 2010. I have read the first two novels in the series, And Only to Deceive (my review here) and A Poisoned Season and enjoyed them very much, but have yet to read A Fatal Waltz or Tears of Pearl, though they stuffed somewhere in my bookshelf.

After escaping from the hands of a ruthless murderer while honeymooning in Constantinople (Tears of Pearl), Lady Emily Hargreaves reluctantly agrees to recover from her wounds at her mother-in-law’s estate in Normandy. The calm permeating the lush countryside is destroyed when Emily, out for a ride, discovers the body of a young woman who has been brutally murdered. Begrudgingly accepting the investigation is firmly in the hands of the police, she focuses her attention on the reappearance of an old friend—Sebastian Capet, a thief of impeccable taste whom Buckingham Palace has taken a new interest in—until a series of clues draw her back into the fray. Haunting cries, the ghost of a small child, and two families afflicted with degenerative madness lead her into a terrifying game of wits against a cold and brilliant killer.

Pages: 320
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN-10: 0312383797
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The Salt Road by Jane Johnson to be released in hardcover January 4, 2011. Jane Johnson's previous effort was The Tenth Gift (my review here), a wonderful timeslip novel I highly recommend to anyone. I think the cover is exotic and mysterious, don't you?

When Isabelle’s estranged father dies he leaves her the house she grew up in, in the attic of which lies a mysterious box with her name on it. Inside the box are three items: an archaeological paper about an ancient Saharan queen, a faded piece of paper written in what appears to be in Arabic, and a curious piece of antique silver: an amulet. 

In another place and time, Mariata belongs to a desert tribe which traces its roots back to Tin Hinan, founding queen of the Tuareg, the legendary Blue Men of the Sahara. She meets and falls in love with Amastan, a charismatic and damaged young warrior. But when her father takes a new wife who has no wish to live the nomad life he takes Mariata to settle in a town in south Morocco. Mariata hates her new existence; and when her stepmother plots to marry her off to a detested suitor, she decides to follow in the steps of her ancestress and make an epic solo journey a thousand miles into the desert in search of her lost love. 

Separated by different times and cultures, the lives of Izzy and Mariata are about to become fatally entwined. Izzy discovers that her amulet is a Tuareg artefact containing an inscription in Tifinagh, a language of the ancient world used for poetry and magic, understood now only by nomads in the deep desert. The desert routes once travelled by caravans of camels bearing ivory, gold and salt are now more perilous than ever but Isobel must follow them if she is ever to lay her ghosts to rest. 

Out in the magnificent wastes of the Sahara she will find more than she ever dreamed: not only the answer to her mysterious inheritance, but a romance as grand and sweeping as the desert itself…

Pages: 464 
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
ISBN-10: 0385669976

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The Doomsday Key by James Rollins

At Princeton University, a famed geneticist dies inside a biohazard lab. In Rome, a Vatican archaeologist is found dead in St. Peter's Basilica. In Africa, a U.S. senator's son is slain outside a Red Cross camp. Three murder victims on three continents, linked by a pagan Druidic cross burned into their flesh.

Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma Force have only days to solve an apocalyptic puzzle dating back centuries. Aided by two women from his past-one his ex-lover, the other his new partner-Gray must uncover a horrifying secret that threatens America and the world, even if it means sacrificing the life of one of the women at his side. The race is on-from the Roman Coliseum to the icy peaks of Norway to the lost tombs of Celtic kings-and the future hangs in the balance. For humankind's ultimate nightmare is locked within a talisman buried by a dead saint-an ancient artifact known as . . . The Doomsday Key.

James Rollins action/adventure thriller novels are always far fetched, though the scientific details always have a basis in fact. This time, in The Doomsday Key, the scientific storyline delves into the areas of genetically modified foods, fungal viruses and super enzymes. The regular cast of characters are there, Gray, Monk, Painter, etc. with the addition of Rachel and Seichan in a new twist.  I'm always very keen on the scientific elements and arcane bits of knowledge, and in this, the novel does not disappoint. But The Doomsday Key does have too much of an overemphasis of the scientific problem at hand and I missed the emotional intensivness of the past two novels in the series, The Last Oracle and The Judas Strain.

I found this storyline less balanced and fluid in the doling out of details and the switching between description and character interaction. Consequently the pace of the story gets bogged down.  But the storyline is redeemed with the emotional wrenching and poignant events at the end that wrap up all the loose ends. James Rollins certainly thrills me and he will you too! Next up is The Devil Colony to be released in hardcover August 3, 2010.

Just want to reiterate that I detest the tall paperback format, as it makes my Rollins collection off kilter in height.  I saw this new "wide paperback" format of The Judas Strain in Indigo Spirit the other day. Wacky!  Hope it doesn't become mainstream.

My Rating: 4.0

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The Last Oracle by James Rollins
Ice Hunt by James Rollins
Deep Fathom by James Rollins
Subterranean by James Rollins

Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

The summer of 1950 hasn't offered up anything out of the ordinary for eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce: bicycle explorations around the village, keeping tabs on her neighbours, relentless battles with her older sisters, Ophelia and Daphne, and brewing up poisonous concoctions while plotting revenge in their home's abandoned Victorian chemistry lab, which Flavia has claimed for her own.

But then a series of mysterious events gets Flavia's attention: A dead bird is found on the doormat, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. A mysterious late-night visitor argues with her aloof father, Colonel de Luce, behind closed doors. And in the early morning Flavia finds a red-headed stranger lying in the cucumber patch and watches him take his dying breath. For Flavia, the summer begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw: "I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn't. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life."

Did the stranger die of poisoning? There was a piece missing from Mrs. Mullet's custard pie, and none of the de Luces would have dared to eat the awful thing. Or could he have been killed by the family's loyal handyman, Dogger… or by the Colonel himself! At that moment, Flavia commits herself to solving the crime - even if it means keeping information from the village police, in order to protect her family. But then her father confesses to the crime, for the same reason, and it's up to Flavia to free him of suspicion. Only she has the ingenuity to follow the clues that reveal the victim's identity, and a conspiracy that reaches back into the de Luces' murky past.

Flavia de Luce, a little smartass curmudgeon, with a lightning quick mind, is like no other 11 year old girl. Her prestigious family lives in Buckshaw, the rambling ancestral estate of the de Luces. Her father either bolts himself in his study to pursue his philetist interests or in his aging Rolls Royce to grieve the long past death of his wife Harriet; her sister Daphne always has her head buried in Dickens or some other esoteric author; and her sister Ophelia spends her hours staring at her reflection and primping or absorbed in playing her piano. Flavia is left to her own devices, which would be to indulge in her obsessive interest in Chemistry in the laboratory she has claimed as her own at Buckshaw.

When Flavia stumbles upon a man dying in the early hours of the morning in Buckshaw's cucumber patch and with his last odorous exhale states “Vale”, she determinedly sets out to investigate the manner of his death.  Flavia is delicious in her pleasure of things of a gruesome nature. I often found myself chuckling at her over the top rudeness, diabolical thoughts and ornery nature. Flavia tries to be this strong, indomitable force, yet we are shown that at her heart she is still an 11 year old girl with a clutch of insecurities.

The novel is a complex formula in itself;  layers and sidesteps and sequences all combined together to form a brilliant deduction. The quality of the writing is first rate, with vivid descriptions of a bygone era. The abundance of details in this unique series debut are a sheer delight.  So many interesting topics are described in myopic detail that keep you enthralled with the story - philetology, chemistry, the art of conjuring, forensic science and investigations, and literature. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is a brilliant effort that shines bright and true. Highly recommend.

Winner of the 2007 CWA Debut Dagger Award.

Next up in the series: The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag released in hardcover March 9, 2010.

My Rating: 5.0

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The Mist by Carla Neggers

Things looked bad when Lizzie Rush finally found hard evidence that her boss, thrill-seeking billionaire Norman Estabrook, heads an international criminal network. But when he escapes police custody after a deadly Boston bombing, the worst is yet to come. 

From nowhere arrives the mysterious Brit, Will Davenport. Lizzie isn't sure which side he's on, but his mercenary talents may help end the violence. Now, emerging from a year of secrets and lies as a double agent straddling two worlds, Lizzie has little choice but to trust a man answering to no one. When the mist clears-and the frightening truth is revealed-who knows which side she herself will end up on.

Ok I think I'm done with Neggers for awhile.  I'm just not a fan of the FBI series she is currently developing. There is divided focus in each installment between past characters and current characters and neither set are provided any growth or dimension, as there are just too many characters floating around. Relationships are short-changed and less developed, if developed at all, so you feel no connection to their resolutions, or HEA as the case may be. There is too much going on in too many different locations and there is too much word count focusing on explaining the back story. I do not get a real sense for who the characters truly are. The relationships between characters intending to be romantic are rushed, as is the timeline...yes this is fiction but two strong-minded, intelligent, talented people realistically do not fall in love and realize they want to spend their lives together in a 24 hour period where they only spend a handful of hours together.

The title 'The Mist' only relates slightly to a couple minor scenes that do not represent the bulk of the story...the lighthouse on the cover is not mentioned at all...but hey, it certainly imparts a moody and mysterious undertone that will get you to buy the book. There are fleeting events that suggest supernatural forces - destiny, fate, full circle - I find these the most interesting elements of The Mist and it would have made the novel more compelling if these aspects had been explored in more depth.  If you are a Neggers fan I suggest getting loaning The Mist from your local library and saving your money for the next Susanna Kearsley or J.D. Robb.

My Rating: 3.0 

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The Angel by Carla Neggers

The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick (Jayne Ann Krentz)

Book 6 in the Arcane Society Series by Amanda Quick - Jayne Ann Krentz - Jayne Castle 

Plagued by rumors that she poisoned her fiancé, Lucinda Bromley manages to live on the fringes of polite society, tending her beloved plantsand occasionally consulting on a murder investigation. For the notorious botanist possesses a unique talent: She can detect almost any type of poison, especially ones that have their origins in the botanical kingdom.

But the death of a lord has shaken Lucinda to her core. At the murder scene, she picks up traces of a poison containing a very rare species of fern. So rare, in fact, that only one specimen exists in all of England and it was stolen from her conservatory just last month.

To keep her name out of the inquest and to find the murderer, Lucinda hires fellow Arcane Society member Caleb Jones who runs a psychical investigation agency. A descendant of the founder of the Society, Jones is very skillful at protecting its secretsand frighteningly good getting at the truth. Immediately, Lucinda senses both a raw power and an undeniable intensity in the imposing man.

But as a nearly overwhelming desire blooms between Caleb and Lucinda, they are drawn into the dark heart of a deadly conspiracy that can be traced to the early days of the Arcane Society and to a legacy of madness that could plunge Caleb into the depths of his own tortured soul. . . .

Am I going to give up on Jayne Ann Krentz?  Probably not, but I'm just not as satisfied with her writing as I used to be, although admittedly having collected over 130 books by Krentz I guess my expectations are biased.  Maybe my preferences have evolved or maybe I've just been exposed to too much great fiction and have higher standards now. The Perfect Poison's book jacket looks pretty and promising with purple flowers and ferns and a hot pink spine. The books feel nice and weighty, so I was excited to start reading, hoping The Perfect Poison would be the story that makes me fall in love all over again with Krentz. Well this novel will not be the one to make me do that...but neither will it make me give up her novels for good.  The 437 pages I thought an ideal size of read, but realized soon enough that the page count is deceptive and the read is much shorter and quicker than I was expecting. The type is a bit larger and the lines are quite spaced out and thicker paper is used, albeit the book is still priced at CAD$9.99.

Maybe its just the whole Arcane Society Series books that cross the paranormal (Castle), historical romance (Quick) and contemporary (Krentz) romance genres, which include the common storyline of the "Arcane Society" that is causing the problem for me...a lot of the language sounds repetitive, so the stories are not as fresh as they could be.  If The Perfect Poison is the first book you pick up by the author I think it would be a fun read, with a unique premise that the independent, strong-minded heroine Lucinda Bromley can detect plant energy, including poisons.  But the overly indulgent, flowery and flamboyant language made me cringe instead of chuckle this time. The hero Caleb Jones was not as much alpha as caveman really and his characterization could have done with more depth and polish. Overall: Average.

Recent January 2010 release in hardcover is Fired Up (Krentz); Next up is Burning Lamp (Quick) released in hardcover April 20, 2010; Midnight Crystal (Castle) released in paperback August 31, 2010.

My Rating: 3.0

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Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb

When the newly promoted captain of the NYPSD and his wife return a day early from their vacation, they are looking forward to spending time with their bright and vivacious sixteen-year-old daughter, who stayed behind.
Not even their worst nightmares could prepare them for the crime scene that awaits them instead. Deena has been brutally murdered in her bedroom, and her body shows signs of trauma that horrify even the toughest of cops, including our own Lieutenant Eve Dallas, who is specifically requested by the captain to investigate.

When the evidence starts to pile up, Dallas and her team think they are about to arrest their perpetrator; little do they know that someone has gone to great lengths to tease and taunt them by using a variety of identities.

Overconfidence can lead to careless mistakes. But for Dallas, one mistake might be all she needs to serve justice.

Kindred in Death is the 29th book in the In Death futuristic mystery series featuring kick-ass cop Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her mega wealthy husband Roarke. Having read the past 20 novels in the series, Kindred in Death is about as perfect as I think an In Death mystery can get.

An extremely brutal crime involving the daughter of a police captain, a diabolical murder with no close connection to the victim and clues that refuse to provide cohesive answers. The focus on the rape and murder of a young female teenager on the cusp of womanhood really strikes at the heart.  Whereas there usually seems to be some personal element for Eve with the murders she investigates, this murder strikes more close because of the specific brutality and the helplessness of the victim.  The senselessness of the crime really comes across.

I enjoyed the sort of nature versus nurture theme as an explanation for human behaviour. How a person's makeup can be imprinted by family and whether someone is born evil. Kindred in Death presents the idea that whether you are naive or worldly, someone with enough devious bent or someone who has been imprinted by evil can deceive and exploit weaknesses.  In the end, whom can you trust?

I did not mind at all that Roarke and Eve's relationship had less of a focus than the other recent novels in the series, although I was a little surprised that the couple times Roarke and Eve had sex they did so in water...I mean isn't that supposed to be dangerous?? But then again this is fiction after all. The only element that bothered me was that there was a second murder in the plot, which seemed more of an afterthought, with the lack of attention the first murder received.

My rating is based only on comparing Kindred in Death with the other In Death novels.

My Rating: 5.0

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Sharon Lathan Giveaway at Hist-Fic Chick

Hist-Fic Chick is hosting an amazing giveaway for Sharon Lathan's three Jane Austen fan fiction novels: Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One, Loving Mr. Darcy: Journeys Beyond Pemberley and My Dearest Mr. Darcy: An Amazing Journey into Love Everlasting, which is being released by Sourcebooks this month.  Don't miss out on your chance to enter...the contest ends January 28th. Open to residents of U.S. and Canadian residents only.

Cold River by Carla Neggers

I have been a fan of Carla Neggers for a long time, loving her blend of a hint of romance with suspense.  I am a fan of her U.S. Marshall and FBI series and some of her standalone novels but I'm not so keen on her new Black Falls series. The series revolves around numerous characters set in Black Falls, Vermont basically involving a handful families, the Camerons and the Harpers. The Cameron siblings recently lost their father Drew Cameron, who was murdered by assassins because he was asking questions about something...but we don't know what that something is. There are many secondary characters which have cameos in each book.

Hannah Shay has finally shown the town of Black Falls what she's worth. Her Three Sisters Cafe is a success, and she's soon to become a prosecutor. When the cafe becomes an epicenter for investigators trying to pierce a violent crime ring that's leaving bloody trails on nearby Cameron Mountain, Hannah suspects a man from her past is involved.

Sean Cameron returns to the snowy cold of his Vermont hometown to unmask his father's killer. Sean has the skills and resources to mount his own search, but he must convince the resistant Hannah to cooperate--because the killer is ready to strike again...and closer than anyone ever imagined.

The second book in the series, Cold River, falls short of the mark for me and was not as good as the first book Cold Pursuit, which I rated 3.0. To be honest I'm not even sure what the title of the book represents because I don't think a "Cold River" or similar was ever mentioned...although most of the cast seem to be outside in freezing weather a lot of the time. The book summarized too much the first book in the series and didn't really develop the characters, the plot or the relationships between characters enough.  I would recommend skipping this series.  On the other hand I liked The Angel, the second book in the FBI series a bit better and would recommend this read for a good suspense story set in Ireland. I'll probably pick up The Mist, the third book in the FBI series to be released March 30, 2010 but I'm afraid for me this is the end of the road for the Black Falls series.

My Rating: 2.5

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Nefertiti: A Novel by Michelle Moran

My Christmas holidays allowed me to dedicate a good amount of time to reading and one of the books I selected has been much talked about and praised. Really, I don't know that I can say anything more than has already been said about Michelle Moran's debut effort Nefertiti: A Novel.


I was captivated by a period in history that many of us would admit we are fascinated by.  Michelle Moran made Ancient Egypt come alive with such ingenuity and precision, creating strong, compelling characters and layered intrigues set in a region continually on the brink of turmoil. I am in awe of Moran's writing and the dedication to research I am sure was required. If you are a lover of historical fiction this story is a must read!

Nefertiti and her younger sister, Mutnodjmet, have been raised in a powerful family that has provided wives to the rulers of Egypt for centuries. Ambitious, charismatic, and beautiful, Nefertiti is destined to marry Amunhotep, an unstable young pharaoh. It is hoped that her strong personality will temper the young ruler's heretical desire to forsake Egypt's ancient gods.


From the moment of her arrival in Thebes, Nefertiti is beloved by the people but fails to see that powerful priests are plotting against her husband's rule. The only person brave enough to warn the queen is her younger sister, yet remaining loyal to Nefertiti will force Mutnodjmet into a dangerous political game; one that could cost her everything she holds dear.

I'll definitely be picking up The Heretic Queen and Cleopatra's Daughter in the near future.  Currently Michelle is working on her next novel about the life of Madame Tussaud during the French Revolution to be released March 2011. I will miss her vision of Egypt but look forward to her recreation of the French Revolution in her next effort.

My Rating: 4.5

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