Review: Killing in C Sharp by Alexia Gordon

Gethsemane Brown saved her current residence from developers in the preceding book. Now, in book 3 in the series, she and her ghostly companion must face down some ghost hunters. The owner of her residence has given the ghost hunters permission to look for ghosts on the property. Gethsemane and Eamon must work together to keep Eamon from discovery.

Meanwhile, a distasteful critic has appeared on the scene as a new opera is prepared to debut. Only problem: the new opera draws the attention of a vengeful ghost who is seeking to take revenge on firstborn males. Can Gethsemane and Eamon keep the ghost from killing them all? When the critic turns up dead, can Gethsemane solve that mystery as well?

This is a well-written cozy mystery. I liked the characterization. It seemed almost like the village itself was a character as to how people interacted.

The pacing was good. The plot was well drawn and a little different with the addition of the vengeful ghost mystery to the murder mystery. I didn't see the end coming. I enjoyed being surprised by how things worked out exactly.

Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's well worth a read. This book works well as a standalone since some it seems that some of Gethsemane's normal interactions are curbed by the vengeful ghost sickening people. Enough background is given to appreciate the mysteries and their solutions. And I suspect that like me, once you've read this one, you will want to read others in the series. This is a good read for fans of cozies, especially small town cozies.

Killing in C Sharp by Alexia Gordon was published March 6th, 2018 by Henery Press.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #235: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders... but her father isn't a very good one. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, he has loaned out most of his wife's dowry and left the family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem steps in. Hardening her heart against her fellow villagers' pleas, she sets out to collect what is owed--and finds herself more than up to the task. When her grandfather loans her a pouch of silver pennies, she brings it back full of gold.

But having the reputation of being able to change silver to gold can be more trouble than it's worth--especially when her fate becomes tangled with the cold creatures that haunt the wood, and whose king has learned of her reputation and wants to exploit it for reasons Miryem cannot understand. 

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik is due to be released July 10th, 2018 by Del Rey.

Why am I waiting on this one? It's a retelling. This time it's of Rumpelstiltskin.It sounds like it has some interesting twists to it.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: Murder at the Mushroom Festival by Janet Finsilver

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

"Daniel, if someone wants to hurt me, there will always be opportunities, short of barricading myself in my room. I'm not going to do that. I'm also not going to take unnecessary chances. I won't wander off into the woods by myself." (61% through on my Kindle)

Murder at the Mushroom Festival by Janet Finsilver is the 4th book in the Kelly Jackson Mystery Series. It was released April 17th, 2018 from Lyrical Underground.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Review: School for Psychics by K.C. Archer

Theodora "Teddy" Cannon is in a tight spot. She owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in gambling debts. And in Vegas, her home, she has been banned from most casinos not because she counts cards or anything like that, but because of the accuracy with which she reads people. In disguise, she goes into a casino and sits down to play poker. She's doing ok until suddenly she isn't. And it would appear she's been recognized. As she flees for her life, a rather large man stops her and convinces her to listen to him. In exchange for paying her gambling debts, she will need to attend a law enforcement school for psychically gifted people. Between a rock and a hard place, Teddy agrees to go to the school.

The people at the school have a variety of psychic talents. They are all getting the same basic training though - basic physical training and basic psychic training. They naturally divide into two groups. The group Teddy belongs to is the "Misfits." The other group is more physically fit and almost like a clique of the popular kids. The two groups are encouraged to vie with one another especially when it comes to physical activities.

As the school year progresses, things escalate competition wise. There is a conspiracy of sorts floating around the school. Some of the students go missing. The FBI might be involved somehow. The Misfits work together to try and solve what's happening. The pace increases towards the end of the book as things come to a head.

Generally speaking, I enjoyed the book. I kind of felt like it had a YA vibe to it but the characters were supposed to be of the age to qualify as New Adult. The competition between the groups reminded me a little of the competition in the YA book The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau. The dangers were serious, but maybe not quite as many deadly dangers as in The Testing. The dangers were a little more focused on the conspiracy the students were investigating.

The characters were not all well developed but were developed enough to carry off the plot. There is some attraction between some of the students. There is some hooking up and possible romance. Nothing is explicit.

Overall, I give this book a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars. I liked it and it was pretty good. There is definitely room for a sequel to this book. I deducted half a star mostly because the characters seemed to act more YA than early 20s a lot of the time. And a little because of how things wrapped up when they are investigating the conspiracy and the FBI. It's still a good read. And it's a good introduction to a new series. I would recommend it to people who enjoy paranormal YA/New Adult literature.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #234: Owl and the Tiger Thieves by Kristi Charish

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In this fourth Owl novel, Kristi Charish (The Voodoo Killings) melds sparkling fantasy with the grit of urban underbelly—with a detour through the world’s most spectacular cities. This is perfect for fans of Kim Harrison, Jim Butcher, Jennifer Estep, Jenn Bennett, and fantasy lovers everywhere.

Through no fault of her own, Alix has found herself essential to the fate of the world as we know it. She didn’t mean for this to happen—she was quite happy being merely the notorious antiquities thief, and ex-archeologist, known as Owl.

However, years ago, Owl reluctantly entered the secret world of the supernatural. Her goals: complete one job, escape one bounty on her head, continue her thieving in peace.

Fast forward to today. Now, she has become a key player in a brutal paranormal civil war that is rapidly getting out of hand. The leader of one of these factions—a lethal opponent called the Electric Samurai—grows more powerful by the second. To stop him, Owl sets out to find the long-lost, legendary group known as the Tiger Thieves.

But will it be too little too late? One thing Owl misses about “normal” archaeology: there are few emergencies with thousand-year-old relics. 

Owl and the Tiger Thieves by Kristi Charish is due to be released May 7th, 2018 from Simon & Schuster.

Why am I waiting on this one? I have other Owl books on my TBR list. And this one, in particular, appeals to me because of the line "perfect for fans of Kim Harrison, Jim Butcher, Jennifer Estep..." Those are three authors whose work I enjoy. 

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: The Truth About Animals by Lucy Cooke

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

Now for something a little different than the past few weeks fare. From a nonfiction book about animal behavior:

Despite their high-pitched courtship yodeling, sloths manage to keep their actual sex life on the down-low, making it prone to much mythologizing. There is a persistent rumor on the internet that sloths are so slow that it takes twenty-four hours for them to have sex. This isn't true. As the first person to film wild sloths mating, I can report that sloth sex is a surprisingly fast and athletic affair. The male approaches the female and, after a short display of flamboyant posturing, the deed is done and dusted in a matter of seconds. It appears sex is the only thing sloths do quickly. (20% through on my Kindle)

The Truth About Animals: Stoned SLoths. Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales from the Wild Side of Wildlife by Lucy Cooke is due to be released today, April 17th, 2018  from Basic Books. 

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #233: Blood Ghast Blues by Jake Bible

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From Goodreads:

“Black Box Inc is a hoot and a half from beginning to end.” –Reading Reality

Unspeakable horrors have been unleashed on Asheville, North Carolina.

Spectral demons tear victims apart from the inside out, leaving nothing but gory destruction in their wake. And their next victim is one of the biggest extradimensional crime lords around—the One Guy. To survive a fate equal to but also worse than death, he’ll have to convince Black Box Inc. to save his sorry ass.

Chase Lawter and his crack team—an omnisexual yeti, an ex-Fae assassin, and a business savvy zombie—are tasked with transporting the One Guy to Washington, D. C. where the Department of Extradimensional Affairs will put the crime lord into protective custody. That is, if Chase and Black Box Inc. can evade blood ghasts, dimentionalist rednecks, vengeance-seeking kobolds, and whatever other enemies are in hot pursuit of the One Guy.

He’s made a lot of enemies. Including Chase, who knows you can’t trust the One Guy as far as you can throw him.

Blood Ghast Blues by Bram Stoker Award ® Nominated Author Jake Bible is the second book in the Black Box Inc. series. It's due to be released April 13th. 2018 from Bell Bridge Books. So, not too long to wait on this one.


Why am I waiting on this one? It looks like it will have a sense of humor to the story. The cover calls it Urban Fantasy with a twist. It's listed as a standalone book in the series. And it takes place in the southeastern USA. It sounds interesting to me. 

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading! 

Teaser Tuesday: Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

The ghosts of the twilight taught me what I am - a hitcher, a ghost tied not to a physical place or a specific person, but to an unfinished task. We have our rules, just like every other kind of ghost, but we run closer to the skin than most, closer to the daylight, because we got lost by mistake.

~ 41% through on my Kindle

The 2018 edition of Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire is due to hit shelves June 5th, 2018 from Daw books.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #232: Lowcountry Bookshop by Susan M. Boyer

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Lowcountry PI Liz Talbot returns to the streets of Charleston in the seventh installment of Susan M. Boyer’s USA TODAY bestselling mystery series. 

Between an epic downpour and a King Tide, those historic streets are flooded—and dangerous. A late night tragic accident along the Lower Battery leads Liz Talbot straight to her next case. 

Who’s the client? Well, now, therein lies the first puzzle. When the police arrive at the scene of the accident, Poppy Oliver claims she’s only trying to help. 

But the dent on the front of her Subaru and the victim’s injuries provoke a certain Charleston police detective’s suspicious nature. A wealthy, anonymous benefactor hires Liz and her partner Nate Andrews to prove Poppy Oliver’s innocence. 

What exactly was Poppy Oliver up to? Is she a random good Samaritan who happens upon the accident scene? Or perhaps this tragedy wasn’t an accident. She just might be his abused wife’s accomplice. 

Why does everyone involved in this case have a sudden burning urge for reading material, leading them to the same charming bookshop along the waterfront? 

From a risqué, exclusive club in an old plantation to an upscale resale shop in the historic King Street shopping district to a downtown graveyard crawling with ghosts, Liz tracks a group of women who band together to help victims of domestic violence. 

In her most challenging case yet, Liz fears she may find a killer, but justice may prove elusive. 

Lowcountry Bookshop by Susan M. Boyer is expected to be released May 29th, 2018 from Henery Press. 

Why am I waiting on this one? I enjoy mysteries that take place in the south as well as mysteries that are related to bookshops. And I'm intrigued by the range of settings: "from a risqué, exclusive club in an old plantation to an upscale resale shop in the historic King Street shopping district to a downtown graveyard crawling with ghosts." I'm curious about how big a role the paranormal will play in this entry in the Liz Talbot series.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading! 

Teaser Tuesday: School for Psychics by K.C. Archer

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

She had cut her hair short after high school and kept it that way ever since. Normally, it worked for her - a deliberately messy look that gave her more edge, like a twenty-first century Audrey Hepburn who had stopped by a dive bar for a Scotch on the way to an indie-rock concert. Today her hair looked more like a nest for birds who had been rejected from other, nicer, better people's bedheads. (15% through on my Kindle)

School for Psychics by K.C. Archer is due to be released April 3rd, 2018 from Simon and Schuster. The above quotation comes from an ARC and may appear differently in the final version.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!