New Books on the Way

I've been busy online shopping the last few weeks.  With all this rain there's nothing better than curling up on the couch or snuggling amongst my doona on the bed, and reading a great book.  There are so many good books out these days, and buying online I can get titles sooner (and a hell of a lot cheaper) than I can in Australia.

So what do I have in the post you ask?  Well... I can't stay away from a few of the trashy para-romances.  I have to have my Patricia Briggs fix so "River Marked" is definitely on the list.  I should be picking up Eileen Wilkes new offering in her Lupi series today as the nice postman put a parcel delivery notice in my letterbox.  This should keep me occupied this afternoon.  Next to arrive should be "Archangel's Consort" by Nalini Singh.  Now I usually avoid the whole Angel genre, but I was drawn in by her characters.  She makes you just want to reach into the book and give Raphael either a kick in the butt or a hug.  Illium is wonderful and the angel that's fascinated with humans, and Elena sometimes breaks your heart as she struggles to embrace her new immortal life.  Darn, I've just made myself want to read it now.  Have to hold on till next week.

Then yesterday, I caved in and bought 3 - count them three - omnibuses ladies and gentlemen.  I had to have the Aurora Teagarden Omnibus (Vol 1 & 2).  PS - If your reading this in Australia DON'T get them from the major booksellers for $35.99.  Head over to Book Depository for Vol. 2 at $16.95, and Amazon UK for the other volume which with P&H works out to just over $20.  I also bought the Lily Bard Omnibus at Amazon for about £8.40!  That's dirt cheap compared to Aussie bookshops.  I mean what is a bookshelf without these wonderful books by Charlaine Harris?  And since I'm studying to become a librarian, I have to have a least one series with a mystery solving librarian at it's heart now don't I.

I did find one series that may take a little reading to get into.  Phryne Fisher is an independent wealthy woman (28) who solves murders in the late 1920's in Melbourne.  She's a gun totting, alcohol loving lady who seems to find more cases than Miss Marple.  I've got 2 of the books so far.  They seem okay, but I think I'll have to get the first one 'Cocaine Blues' before I truly decide that this is a new series to get.  Kerry Greenwood writes well, and you do loose yourself in the world of 1920's Melbourne.  One of the audio books I borrowed from the local library included an interview with her.  It turns out that these books are researched for about 4 months and only written in about 2-3 weeks!  I wish I  could do that.

So that's the end of my little buying spree.  I've got my next list up and running.  I'm over the paranormal hump and settling quite nicely into the police thrillers.  I've been following the Karen Rose books.  I absolutely loves "I'm Watching You".  I have read it about 10 times now, and it was the first book of hers that I bought.  If you like a little bit of archaeology thrown in with your detective work, then try the first of her trilogy "Die for Me".  The most of the characters found in the series end up with a book of their own.  The Reagan brothers (both detectives), the Ciccotelli's (Vito and Tessa), and co-workers of theirs.  They are wonderful books, gritty and the author is not afraid to make her characters vulnerable.  The next book out "You Belong to Me" should be great.  I'm waiting - not patiently either - for this to come out in mass market paperback (UK cover thanks) before I read it.  Wish me luck.

Want a new author?

I've been searching for something new and interesting to read for ages now and I think I've found just the thing.  I happened to read a quick synopsis of "Die for Me" by Karen Rose a few weeks ago.  It's about a Homocide Detective who ends up working with an archaeologist on a grave site.  Since I'm a sucker for archaeology and a good mystery I tried to find it. 

I found Scream for Me instead and bought it.  It was great!  It's part of a trilogy, the Daniel Vartanian trilogy to be precise, and although Daniel is in it briefly, this story sets up the next two books (which include Daniel and his sister, Susannah).  Their family history isn't all that good... in fact it makes the Simpsons look like the Cleavers!

The next two books in the trilogy are Scream for Me and Kill for Me.  Both are really good.  Intense and have twists and turns that you really don't expect.  These books are then added onto through characters you meet in them, and their siblings.  My favourite so far is I'm Watching You, a wonderful book about Abe Reagan, a Homocide Detective, and Kristen Mayhew, ASA (lawyer), who are thrown together on a case involving Kristen and her 'humble servant'.  You follow Abe as he struggles to deal with his feelings for Kristen (he's a widower), and Kristen trying to overcome her past to grab onto this wonderul man who comes into her life.

In all, there are about 8 or 9 books now.  You can read them in whichever order you like (I started with Scream for Me- Yes, I know, it's book no. 2 - then I'm Watching You, and then on to Die for You).

Daniel Vartanian Trilogy

• Die for Me
• Scream for Me
• Kill for Me

 Others (set before and after trilogy)

• I'm Watching You
• Nothing to Fear
• Count to Ten
• You Can't Hide
• Have You Seen Her?
• I Can See You

If your looking for a great police suspense/mystery then I'd heartily recommend these.  One word of warning though, they do have a lot of physical violence, and the bad guys have done a great deal of harm to their victims (both mental and physical.  There are rape survivors, spousal abuse survivors, etc.).  If you don't mind that, and as I wasn't informed about that it was a shock to find it.  The rapes aren't rehashed or told as part of a backstory, but it isn't hidden either what they have suffered.

So I'm giving Karen Rose's series 2 thumbs up!