Pendergast and his ward Constance Green traveler to Exmount, Massachusetts, an old village on the coast north of Salem to investigate the theft of valuable wine from a wine cellar. What they found in this peaceful little village is much more than the bargain for and soon they have to fight for their lives.

I was lucky enough to get an approved on NetGalley for this book and it was a really good book. I have just one main problem with the book, I just don't like Constance Green that much. I mean I like her history, the first books with her and explanation “to her life”, but as a character in a book (especially this book) she just feels a bit to aggravating. It didn't help that Constance in the beginning kept on correcting a man's Shakespeare quotes. I loathe people that just know it all and must constantly show off. And, I feel that way with Constance. I have never that problem with Pendergast because he really uses his knowledge in such a great way, even though it can be annoying for those around him. Another thing, it seems that they are trying to make Constance and Pendergast a couple. There are hints about that, one scene partially in this book and I just feel...nooo.

Alright, now that is off my chest. This little town Exmouth is close to Salem, and you know what that means...witches! Or is it? Perhaps that is just a red herring. Also, there is a ship that was lost over a hundred years ago. What happened to the ship. And, what the hell happened to all the wine?

And the ending, of course, it ends with a cliffhanger and it seems that someone is back. Someone bad and I can only think of one person, but how can that be?

I hope Corrie Swanson is back in the next book *puppy eyes*...

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The thrillers of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child "stand head and shoulders above their rivals" (Publishers Weekly). Preston and Child's Relic and The Cabinet of Curiosities were chosen by readers in a National Public Radio poll as being among the one hundred greatest thrillers ever written, and Relic was made into a number-one box office hit movie. They are coauthors of the famed Pendergast series and their recent novels includeFever Dream, Cold Vengeance, Two Graves, and Gideon's Corpse. In addition to his novels, Preston writes about archaeology for the New Yorker and Smithsonian magazines. Lincoln Child is a former book editor who has published five novels of his own, including the huge bestseller Deep Storm. 

Readers can sign up for The Pendergast File, a monthly "strangely entertaining note" from the authors, at their website, www.PrestonChild.com. The authors welcome visitors to their alarmingly active Facebook page, where they post regularly.

WEBSITE: http://www.prestonchild.com FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/PrestonandChild

I had hoped this book would be better than the first one, and in the beginning it actually looked like it would with a tarot reading man called the Raven whose predictions about deaths seems to come true. But after a while I just felt that the story started to drag. 

The chapters shift between Jennifer Knight and Bert, the tarot man and it worked OK in the beginning but somewhere along the way I just got tired of the alternation. Could be because I found the story just dull and I wanted it to wrap up so that I could move on.

There is a side story with a sect that I found uninteresting, I just never saw the point of it. But I should have know that there would be some connections to the tarot murder case. I mean why else add a side story to a crime book without having something to do with the main case. But I guess the biggest problem I had with the story not that interesting to read about, and that I'm sick and tired of main characters being chosen by a killer as his nemesis or something. Sending letters with a raven feather in them to Jennifer just made me mentally sigh because I have read so many books lately with the main character being the target by the killer they are chasing that it's lost its appeal. 

Jennifer Knight also has some personal problem with her father returning to town and wants to have contact with Jennifer and her sister. But Jennifer just doesn't want to forgive him, and I can understand that. I just wish she could understand that her sister is a grown up woman with two kids and that she can't tell her what to do. And, perhaps she should tell her the truth about the fire on the boat. Secrets tend to come out sooner or later. 

Anyway, I was a bit surprised towards the end when something was revealed about on of the characters in the book, I didn't expect that I must admit. I expected a must less surprising end, but it makes sense that there is something more to the tarot killings. 

Would I continue with this series? No, I don't think so. I just can't seem to warm up to Jennifer Knight or the rest of characters and neither this book or the previous was really that interesting. At least the first book had a grand finale, this book lacked that and also lacked a really interesting story. 

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I found this book to lack the intensity from the first book. Tracy Crosswhite has returned to work after catching her sister's killer and now she must deal with the case she had before she traveled home when they found her sisters body. Because the killer has struck again and it seems that they have a serial killer loose that is targeting exotic dancers. 

I had a much harder time getting into the story in this book, I just felt that the case wasn't that interesting, at least not as interesting as in the first book. And, part of me feels that the angle with the main character being targeted is used way too many times in thrillers/crime novels. And also having an enemy in the force that tries to get the main character fired, well that is something else that I have found happens too often. I mean I understand that there have to be some drama and its good to have and enemy or two thrown into the story. But arrogant cops and ambitious journalists are used a bit too often. Or it could be that I've read so many books with that kind of angle that it's becoming a bit tiring. 

But at least the story picked up towards the last part of the book when everything started to come together. I like that the loose ends from the first book are taken care in this book and that the ending wasn't all too obvious even though I had a suspicious feeling towards the end before the confrontation who the exotic dancer killer was and I was right. Also, I was a bit worried about Roger the cat during the book. And. that's typical me, being more concerned with the pets than the people. 

But still I enjoyed reading this book and I would without a doubt read more in this series. I just hope for a more compelling storyline in the next book. 

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

A DEATH IN THE DALES

Frances Brody

Published in paperback original by Piatkus, on October 1^st 2015, price £8.99

The new fantastically quirky crime novel featuring amateur sleuth extraordinaire Kate Shackleton

A murder most foul

When the landlord of a Yorkshire tavern is killed in plain sight, Freda Simonson, the only witness to the crime, becomes plagued with guilt, believing the wrong man has been convicted. Following her death, it seems that the truth will never be uncovered in the peaceful village of Langcliffe . . .

A village of secrets

But it just so happens that Freda's nephew is courting the renowned amateur sleuth Kate Shackleton, who decides to holiday in Langcliffe with her indomitable teenage niece, Harriet. When Harriet strikes up a friendship with a local girl whose young brother is missing, the search leads Kate to uncover another suspicious death, not to mention an illicit affair.

The case of a lifetime

As the present mysteries merge with the past's mistakes, Kate is thrust into the secrets that Freda left behind and realises that this courageous woman has entrusted her with solving a murder from beyond the grave. It soon becomes clear to her that nothing in Langcliffe is quite as it appears, and with a murderer on the loose and an ever-growing roster of suspects, this isn't the holiday Kate was expecting.

Review:

I was quite trilled when I was given a chance to read the latest Kate Shackleton book since this is a series I have been meaning to try out but never got to. 

Amateur sleuth Kate Shackleton and her niece Harriet is on holiday in the little village of Langcliffe. Harriet has recently recovered from diphtheria and Kate thought it would be good for her to get away from the town and spend two weeks in the country. Kate is also planning to spend some time with Lucian Simonson, the local doctor to see if they have a future together and its his late aunt's hour they are living in during their stay. But it seems that Lucian aunt all along wanted to meet Kate and to get Kate to help her clear an innocent man's name. It seems that 10 years prior to the present day in the book a man was killed and Freda witness the murderer, but she is convinced that the wrong man was convicted.  Now it seems that Kate has a new mission.

This is the kind of book you want to curl up in the sofa with and with a large cup of tea or coffee. It's a cozy mystery book and it was no problem whatsoever getting into the story and get to know the characters. I did think the pacing of the book was a bit slow and I felt that not much happened for a while in the book other than Kate trying to find out the truth about the murder and looking after Harriet. The town's people are quite convinced that the right man was convicted for the murder and it's been ten years since the murder so Kate hasn't got that much to go on. So much of the book was spent trying to find anyone that would have motive and means to kill the poor man. But towards the ending it got better when it pieces started to come to together. And, Frances Brody really manages to write an ending I never expected. I'm really impressed with that. 

One thing I reflected on while I read the book was that Kate didn't seem that in love with Lucian. She is contemplating a future as a doctor's wife, but I really didn't feel any passion between them. It felt more like two old friends when they were together. I have only read this book, but I feel that she really needs someone more passionate than Lucian. I hope she finds him. 

It was a good book. I enjoyed reading it. The pacing could have been better, but I do look forward to reading more books in this series especially the books before because I curious to learn more about Kate and her family.

Thank you Piatkus for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

Frances Brody is the author of the Kate Shackleton mysteries, as well as many stories and plays for BBC Radio, scripts for television and four sagas, one of which won the HarperCollins Elizabeth Elgin Award. Her stage plays have been toured by several theatre companies and produced at Manchester Library Theatre, the Gate and Nottingham Playhouse, and Jehad was nominated for a Time Out Award.

I do seem to have some weird knack to start reading the last published book in a series lately. Shadow Play is book 19 in the Eve Duncan series, but it was super easy to get into this book and get the basic fact about Eve Duncan, Joe Quinn, Margaret Douglas and Bonnie.

Eve Duncan is a forensic sculptor and she is sent the skull of a young old girl that was found buried eight years in the forest. But it seems that the killer hasn't forgotten her and soon Eve is in danger and it seems that somewhere out there is another little girl in danger and Eve must now try with the help of her friends and the ghost of the dead girl help try to find out who the killer is and who his next target is...

I really liked this book. It was fast-paced, it had an interesting story. I liked the characters and it wasn't too much romance in it. And, I loved the paranormal part of the story. The story had just the perfect blend of thriller and paranormal. And, not too much focus on sex. Eve and Joe may be a couple, but they don't have several pages of graphic sex. Sometimes I think books lose the focus and miss the fact that a good story and well-written characters are the most importing thing. Or perhaps it has something to do with that I can't stand erotica.

Anyway, I was curious about this series and decided to give the book series a shot when I saw this book was available at NetGalley to request. The story was really engrossing and I could hardly stop reading the book. I will only read one chapter more and suddenly had I been reading an hour. I really liked the mystery of the book. I liked that it wasn't an obvious story that it surprised me from time to time.

I'm really glad that I read this book and I'm looking forward to reading the previous 19 books!

I received this copy from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley in return for an honest review! Thank you!