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Category: Genre Fiction

Review: Vacation by Matthew Costello

[ 7 ] December 19, 2011

Reviewed by Jenna Arthur

What happens to us when the world become a global crisis center? When we can no longer rely on our humanity or morality? When humans become predators – Can Heads – and must fight their own species, what do we do? We fight!

When one man and his family have finally had enough, they seek refuge in a much needed vacation. NYPD cop, Jack Murphy, horribly wounded by a flash Can Head attack, leaves home with his wife and two children to a place so far away from the big city it promises to be safer. Or is it?

The camp promises fun, safety and a family atmosphere, but Jack quickly realizes that he has bitten off more than he can chew. When the ones protecting you become the ones who can make you disappear, what can you do? With Can Heads closing in and Camp Paterville quickly becoming the family’s worst nightmare, Jack must fight for his family and learn the real truth behind their vacation.

Matthew Costello’s Vacation was action packed from beginning to end. Though it was not entirely what I expected, it was an interesting read. The amount of violent rage put into the Can Heads was intriguing while the combination of this rage and cannibalism of some other survivors seemed a little bit too much.

Vacation is a plethora of sci-fi meets horror meets action, and will appeal to many readers across the board. The book is disturbing and dark yet leaves you feeling for the family and wondering if they will make it to the very end.

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Jenna lives in the bustling city of Pittsburgh, PA with her fiance and her two beautiful cats. Along with her passion for reading and the literary world, she is also an artist, writer, environmental activist, creative coordinator and aspiring culinary genius. She believes there is nothing better to her then a good book, and lives one cover to the next.

Review copies were provided free of any obligation by Thomas Dunne Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory

[ 3 ] December 15, 2011

Reviewed by Christen Krumm

The Lady of the Rivers is the story of Jacquetta who is a descendant of Melusina, the river goddess. As a young girl, Jacquetta meets Joan of Arc and discovers her power of second sight. After sharing a tarot card reading secret, Joan and Jacquetta seem to become close friends. When Joan is put to death and Jacquetta is forced to witness, she discovers just how dangerous being a powerful woman can be.

At age seventeen the notoriously beautiful Jacquetta catches the eye of the much older Duke of Bedford, King Henry VI’s uncle, and is soon married off and whisked away to France. Following the death of the Duke, Jacquetta shocks her royal nephew by secretly marrying the Duke’s squire, Richard Woodville, and returning to England.

When King Henry VI marries Margaret of Anjou, Jacquetta is summoned to the courts to serve the new queen. The marriage is a rocky one and causes much conflict between the Lancaster and York families. As a result, Jacquetta finds herself fighting for her daughter’s life; she believes her daughter has a promising life ahead of her, one that includes power of the throne.

The Lady of the Rivers, the third installment of Philippa Gregory’s The Cousins’ War series, tells the real-life story of Elizabeth’s mother, the white queen. While a beautifully written story, it held no magic for me. The witchcraft and magical powers did me in early on and I could not enjoy the novel from there. That being said, this could be a fascinating novel for dedicated fans of historical fiction as it is filled to the brim with facts surrounding the reign of the House of Lancaster and the Wars of the Roses.

Rating: 2.5/5

Christen graduated from the University of Arkansas Fort Smith with a BA in English. She’s a coffee drinking stay at home mom by day and a freelance writer/editor by night. She currently resides in Arkansas with her husband and daughter and welcomed a son in August.

The review copy of this book was provided free of any obligation by Touchstone. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Time in Between by Maria Duenas

[ 6 ] December 6, 2011

Reviewed by Alisha Churbe

The Time In Between is a recollection told by Sira Quiroga that begins and ends in Madrid, Spain. Her fate and adventures take her on an expedition through war torn Europe during the late 1930s. World War II is very much in the works and the Spanish Civil War rolls on.

I never imagined a story of a dressmaker during war times could keep my attention. The Time In Between is loaded with political and historical details, but the story only rarely slows from it’s breathtaking pace. Some of the historical details tend to slow the story down and many could be cut a bit shorter, but don’t let that deter you. This novel will take you back in time and let you experience the tales of risks and survival. The countries Sira visits and resides in, along with the characters you meet are very real, and many of them will stay with you long after the end.

On the back cover of this edition, the book summary mentions that The Time In Between has, “the storytelling power of The Name of the Wind” (by Patrick Rothfuss). In the end, I would have to agree with this statement.

In the beginning, I was disappointed that The Time In Between was not told using the same narrative structure, but it is quite similar. The Time In Between is much more grounded in history than the fantastic world of The Name of the Wind. It is also important to note that while Sira experiences a lot, takes risks, and ends up in danger, her story is much more of a curve upward. The ending seems abrupt, but it’s perfect. It leaves so much left to know, to ponder (a sequel, perhaps?), but it really couldn’t have happened any other way or it could have felt contrived or implausible.

The Time In Between is a twist on the normal coming of age stories. In the beginning, Sira is young, a daughter of a single mother, working as an assistant to her mother and Dona Manuela, running errands and sweeping floors. Duenas moves quickly through this portion of Sira’s life and gets us to the moments that shape her fate and send Sira on her adventures. In the end, she’s evolved into a strong-willed, charming and, at moments, quite cunning woman.

We travel with Sira through tough times, happy moments, loneliness, and true bliss. She breaks out of the life that is laid out before her and fights (sometimes unwillingly) to create a life of her own. She grows from a confused teenager into a woman who knows what she wants and in many ways, how to obtain it. She takes extreme risks, and some moments of The Time In Between will have you hanging on every word. I enjoyed this novel and look forward to future offerings from Maria Duenas.

Rating: 4/5

Part-time fiction writer, Alisha Churbe lives in Portland, Oregon. In the rare instances when you can pry her away from books, Alisha can be found travelling in foreign countries, cooking, or hiking with her husband Michael and dog Euro.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Atria Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Most Unsuitable Match by Stephanie Grace Whitson

[ 5 ] December 3, 2011

Reviewed by Meg Massey

Fannie Rousseau’s world falls apart when her mother dies, leaving her alone to deal with the family’s deteriorating finances. When she stumbles upon a family secret, she makes the decision to head west to discover the truth about the past, and perhaps uncover why her mother was always so distant.

Along the way, she encounters Samuel Beck, a young man working on the steamboat that’s taking her to Montana. Samuel is determined to escape the drunken father whose actions have ripped his family apart, and hoping to find his sister Emma, who ran away.

Fannie soon finds that she can’t stop thinking about Samuel, and he feels the same. But will Samuel’s desire to become a pastor, and the expectation that Fannie will marry a man of means, keep them apart?

A beautiful tale of faith and unconditional love, Stephanie Grace Whitson’s A Most Unsuitable Match is a story that historical fiction fans will love. Samuel and Fannie are two characters that you’ll cheer for and cry with as they encounter their journey’s joys and obstacles.

Rating: 4/5

Meg lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Ryan. Library professional by day, freelance writer by night, Meg writes about life, entertainment and everything in between on her blog.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Bethany House. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian

[ 4 ] December 2, 2011

Reviewed by Marcus Hammond

The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian is an effectively complex novel that mixes psychology and the supernatural to create an original, atmospheric thriller that keeps the reader guessing.

As the novel opens, Chip Linton faces the difficult situation of safely landing a passenger jet in a lake after the engines are destroyed by a flock of geese. His attempt fails and thirty-nine passengers die, as the plane is ripped apart. Chip is cleared of any fault, but is left with severe guilt and PTSD. In order to begin healing from the ordeal, Chip, his wife, Emily, and their twin girls, Hallie and Garnet, move from their formerly comfortable lives in the city to a smaller, out of the way town. As the Lintons attempt to settle into their new lives they are surrounded by mystery and conspiracy. Their new home may be haunted and the residents that have welcomed them may have deeper, stranger motivations behind their welcoming nature.

The Lintons are welcomed into the town by a group of women who believe in the magical and healing properties of plant life. The women, who are all named after different plants, begin to take interest in the Lintons and try to acclimate the family into their close-knit group.

As the intentions of the herbalists to incorporate Emily, Hallie, and Garnet into their cult become more and more persistent, Chip’s PTSD becomes a bigger problem. The subsequent drama provides the reader with page after page of hair-raising paranoia, supernaturally creepy visions, and murderous deception.

Chris Bohjalian employs a blend of narration perspectives throughout the novel to add to its creep-out factor. While the majority of the thriller is told in a third person omniscient perspective, Chip’s narration is portrayed through a second person perspective. This change in perspective allows the reader to experience, first hand, the disturbed mentality that Chip progressively succumbs to during his family’s encounters with the unusual and deceptive herbalists.

With Bohjalian’s unique writing style and his ability to twist the plot into a unique and sufficiently creepy thriller, The Night Strangers is best read with a light on.

Rating: 4/5

After obtaining a Masters in Liberal Arts and Literature Marcus has dedicated most of his time to teaching English Composition for a community college in the Midwest. In his down time, he spends time avidly reading an eclectic selection of books and doing freelance writing whenever he gets the chance. He lives in Kansas with his wife.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Crown. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Cross Currents by John Shors

[ 4 ] December 1, 2011

Reviewed by Jennifer Jensen

In late December 2004, a tsunami hit the small, crescent-shaped island of Ko Phi Phi in Thailand. The ocean claimed approximately ⅓ of the locals and tourists that were present on the island that day. It was a moment in history that soon faded from memory, but John Shors has immortalized it in his 5th novel, Cross Currents.

Cross Currents introduces readers to a small cast of unforgettable and lovable characters, which include: Lek and Sarai, the struggling resort owners of Rainbow Resort, their three children, and Sarai’s mother, Yai; Patch, an American who is wanted by the Thailand police; and Patch’s brother, Ryan, and his girlfriend, Brooke, who have come to the island to convince Patch to turn himself in.

Lek and Sarai treat Patch as if he is a member of their own family; Patch helps Lek, who has a bad hip, to fix and maintain the humble Rainbow Resort. Patch, though a criminal (wanted for buying drugs and assaulting a police official), is a sympathetic character who will keep readers turning pages rapidly to find out the resolution of his plight. I was drawn to each and every character that Shors crafted in this novel.

Prior to reading this novel, I was unfamiliar with John Shors’ novels. His vivid and breathtaking descriptions of both people and locations, heartfelt characters, and compelling story line and subplots have convinced me that I absolutely must read everything he wrote before this one, and everything that comes next.

Cross Currents is a novel that I feel everyone should read; you will become educated about a new way of life and through these characters, you will learn how people can surprise even those who know them best of all in unexpected ways. Even though I figured out well in advance how certain events would play out, I shed quite a few tears, so make sure you have tissues nearby.

Rating: 5/5

Check out our review of John Shors’ Dragon House

Jennifer graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She occasionally dabbles with her own fiction writing, particularly with the Young Adult and Paranormal genres. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and daughter.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Berkley/NAL. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Betrayal of Trust by J.A. Jance

[ 3 ] November 28, 2011

Reviewed by Krista Castner

Sometimes it’s nice to pick up a new book in a long-running series and know you’re going to have a chance to get caught up with old friends. Betrayal of Trust, the 20th installment in the J.P. Beaumont detective series by J.A. Jance, is one of those kinds of books.

JP Beaumont, or “Beau” as his friends call him, is partnered with his wife Mel Soames on a politically sensitive case involving Washington State’s Governor. The Governor specifically requests Beau to work on this case because they went to high school together. Beau and Mel have to try to track down the source of a snuff film before more victims are caught up in the murder drama.

Usually Seattle is the beloved backdrop in the Beaumont series, but this book takes place primarily in Washington’s capital city, Olympia, and in the outlying rural communities near Olympia. I have to admit that I miss the Seattle setting. But I understand that authors sometimes need to do things to keep characters evolving and stories fresh. Olympia isn’t a bad setting, it’s just not Seattle.

Beau and Mel work as partners on the state’s Special Homicide Investigative Team (S.H.I.T.) There are many references to how much they get razzed because of team’s acronym. (I found this a bit childish and soon grew weary of the reference.) Initially the Governor, Marsha Longmire, discovers what appears to be a snuff film on her step-grandchild’s cell phone and requests an investigation. But the case soon becomes much more complicated as Mel and Beau try to solve the crime before the news hits the press.

Betrayal of Trust tackles teenage poverty, cyber-bullying, teen suicide, and issues of acceptance and inclusion in blended families. That is a lot of territory to cover in the book’s 344 pages, but Jance covered the ground in her usual fast-paced story telling style that kept me interested throughout. Beau and Mel work well together. Mel uses all the latest technology to keep her side of the investigation moving along. Beau, in spite of his bad knees, keeps his side of the investigation moving with more old-fashioned police leg work.

In the midst of the investigation Beau receives a personal email from someone claiming to be a long-lost relative, who may hold the key to his father’s identity. Beau is ambivalent about pursuing any sort of a family reunion. I’ll leave the outcome of this plotline to the readers. If you’re a long time J.P. Beaumont fan like I am, I think you’ll be pleased with how things turn out.

Yes, Beau is starting to show his age. But that’s part of the charm of this series. Beau isn’t a super hero. He’s a normal guy doing the right thing day-in and day-out. In today’s sometime frenetic pace, it’s nice to be able to rely on Beau to get the job done. JA Jance has given us another fun installment in the J.P. Beaumont series.

Rating: 4/5

Krista lives just outside the urban sprawl of Portland, Oregon. Lamentably, her work as a technical writer and business analyst often interferes with her reading which is a true passion.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by William Morrow. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

[ 6 ] November 25, 2011

Reviewed by Nina Longfield

Set in 70A.D. during the Roman occupation of ancient Judea, The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman follows the travels and challenges of four Judean women running from the Roman invasion and their own pasts. These are independent women whose lives interconnect during the siege of Masada, the mountain fortress where the remnants of Judean resistance held out for several years against Roman assault. Hoffman’s novel is divided into four parts and each woman is given a section telling the story of her life and of her journey to Masada.

The Dovekeepers begins with Yael’s narration and the fall of Jerusalem to the Roman legion. Yael is motherless and is the assassin’s daughter turned nomad with the fall of the city walls. Yael lives primarily in isolation believing she is different and cursed by the angel of death until she discovers the warm touch of another. Revka, a baker’s wife, lived a life of good fortune until the Romans arrival. She escapes the Roman slaughter of her village with her two young grandsons and seeks shelter within the high fortress walls of Masada. Aziza was raised as a boy and, like her warrior father, she appears to be fearless and is able to fight; yet she maintains a fear of womanhood. Then there is Shirah, born in Roman Alexandria, she is wise in the ancient ways and is almost mystically insightful.

Through these four women, Hoffman’s writing brings forth the tensions and struggles of the ancient Judeans amongst themselves and against the Roman incursion. Through each character’s story, the reader gets the sense of a changing world where many fight to prevent its total collapse.

Alice Hoffman’s writing is beautiful. At times, her narrative is mesmerizing and dreamlike as Hoffman leads her reader through the story. I liked how she gave voice to each of her characters and let the women tell the story; it seemed a very intimate approach to a rather harrowing tale. The novel’s subject is gloomy, the siege of Masada did not end well as the back cover book synopsis states, yet Hoffman presents The Dovekeepers with such authenticity that I was compelled to keep reading and hope for each character’s safety.

The novel’s flow suffered from time to time with prolonged prosaic moments. This was especially apparent during the long treks through the deserts leading to Masada, but such times only showed Hoffman’s skill as a powerful writer. Despite a few slow moments, the entirety of The Dovekeepers was a very satisfying read.

Rating: 5/5

Nina Longfield is a writer living in Oregon’s fertile wine country. When she is not reading or writing in her spare time, Nina enjoys hiking in the hills surrounding her cabin.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Scribner. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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