Bookmail, Funko's and a New Camera!

OMG!  I can't believe I actually spent so much 😵

Yes, I am now coming to you with the Canon EOS 200D, and I am beyond excited about finally owning a DSLR.  I've been wanting one for years, but could never justify the expense (soooo expensive in Australia!), however when my old trusty Nikon Coolpix started to fail I decided I needed to invest in a quality camera that was versatile and would allow me to use it for various projects.

Do I love it?  YES!  Am I freaked out by spending so much? YEEESSS!

Anyhoo, it will take me a little while to get myself sorted out with a filming setup, so don't worry if a few video's look funky, I'm working on it.

Thanks for watching, and until I see you next time

 

Easter Book Haul

Hello again.

Due to unforeseen circumstances (aka, pulling a muscle in my back/hip) the video I'd planned on filming has been put on the back burner for now.  Instead I filmed a really quick video on Easter Sunday so I could share with you the bookmail that had been trickling in over the last week.

I was hoping to save all my parcels, and some still aren't here!, until I had them all in a glorious pile and then I'd open them on camera.  However, I got so excited when I ended up with 5 parcels in one day that I forgot about that and tore into them - oops! ;-D

Anyway, I've already devoured two of the Amanda Quick titles, Til Death Do Us Part and The Girl Who Knew Too Much, and they were just the thing I needed to get me out of the reading funk I'd slipped into after binge watching seasons 1 & 2 of Wynonna Earp (ps. such a great urban horror/western series!).

Still have to get to the two cozy mystery books, as well as the final two Jayne Ann Krentz novels and The Immortals (which I have my fingers crossed for because I love a good urban fantasy with gods and goddess' in a modern setting).

So with all that reading still to do I'm going to love you and leave you.  And until I see you next time,

 

October sucked

Yep, it's true.  October sucked.

At the beginning of the month a good family friend, and our neighbour for almost 25 years, passed away.  It was expected, and unexpected at the same time, but it threw everything I had planned out the window.  There was no way on earth that I felt like reading all the Stephen King books I had planned for my Kingoween challenge, so instead I fell back to my old favourites like the In Death series by JD Robb and Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series.

We are all slowly recovering our equilibrium after this, but it takes time.  I haven't been on the computer for almost 3 weeks, just disappearing into a book to escape and try to put all the sadness behind me for those few hours.   But I've hit the turning point where I can go for a day or two without it being in the back of my mind.

Perhaps I'll try to get to some of my Kingoween books this month.  Perhaps not.  However, I think all this time away from the TV has done me a world of good.  I think in the last month I've watched about 8 hours of TV!

Okay, that's about all that I can tell you.  I didn't do anything amazing, or travel anywhere.  Just spent the month at home, enjoying the wet weather that closed in around us and reading my favourite books.  I hope your month was better than mine.  If you discovered a great book, let me know in the comments as I'm looking for new books all the time.

So, until I see you next time,

Gritty crime series

Still not sure how I feel about Buried Strangers. Lots of corruption in the police force, mass graves, dead children and evil twisted people. #bookstagram #justfinished #reading #biblio #buriedstrangers #leightongage #detective #policeprocedural #brazil #bookaholic #bookaddict #booknerd #booknerdigan #bookobsessed #bibliophile #aussiebibliophile

A photo posted by Dallass (@tundrablue) on Jan 21, 2017 at 4:13pm PST

I posted this pic yesterday morning (Sunday in AUS), and even now I'm still not sure exactly how I feel about Buried Strangers.  It is full of tropes/themes that work great on the screen: corruption at the highest levels as well as the grass roots of the police force, forensic facilities that seem to be 30 years behind cutting edge technology used elsewhere, multiple POVs that you can follow, interesting - if horrific - crime to solve, potential romance between colleagues, numerous dodgy characters, and a central character like Chief Inspector Mario Silva that the whole shebang could revolve around.

However, in book form it just seemed to fall flat for me.  Don't get me wrong, Buried Strangers was well written with interesting characters, but killing children to steal organs for the black market? ... so not me.  Would I want to read any further books in this series?  I really don't know.  I've looked into it, and it seems that each centers on a pretty gruesome topic

"The whole collection is known as "The Chief Inspector Mario Silva Investigations". The books cover a vast array of subjects, including underage prostitution, organ theft, snuff videos, and much more." *

and I think that says it all!  I'd have to think really hard about it before I'd commit to another one as these topics sound truly disturbing to me.  I don't want to read about child prostitution or snuff videos.  I don't know who would read something like that for fun.  But, different strokes for different folks, right?

So those were my thoughts on Buried Secrets.  I didn't go into characters, plot points, etc., because it is more important that a potential reader is aware of the gritty nature of the books.  If you can't deal with these topics then I don't recommend you read the books as they don't shy away from their subject matter.  However, if a good gritty crime novel set within the seedy side of a corrupt police force seems right up your alley, then congratulations, this just might be for you ;-D

I hope this was in some way helpful.  Let me know if you've read any of the Leighton Gage books, and if you did - what did you think of them?  Would you read more?

Thanks again, and until next time...

 

Citation

* Leighton Gage. (2016, August 30). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:41, August 30, 2016

Book Review || The Murder at the Vicarage

The Murder at the Vicarage

Miss Marple #1

Agatha Christie

Originally Published: 1930

My edition: 2002 Signature Collection edition

HarperCollins, mass market pbk, 380p., b&w ill.

ISBN: 0007120850

"Anyone who murdered Colonel Protheroe,' declared the parson, brandishing a carving knife above a joint of roast beef, 'would be doing the world at large a favour!"

It was a careless remark for a man of the cloth to make.  And one which was to come back to haunt him a few hours later - when the Colonel is found dead, shot through the head in the clergyman's study. . .

Well, to be brutally honest, I enjoyed the adaptations more.  I disliked seeing the world, both the village of St. Mary Mead, and it's inhabitants, through the eyes of a rather dour, insecure, and fuddy-duddy character like Len Clements.  He is not a very likable character (to me), and I just found it to be a rather tedious book to slog through.  What should have taken a few hours was stretched to nearly 2 weeks!

In regards to other characters, I do love Miss Marple.  She can do no wrong, and whatever the format, I adore her.  However, most of the remaining characters were unlikable enough that if I wasn't a fan of the adaptations (and knew what happens), then I would have a whole host of characters to throw under the proverbial bus as suspects.

A special mention must be given to Lettice Protheroe, who was just as annoying as portrayed in the adaptations, not to mention Inspector Slack, who I found extremely arrogant, and who is exactly who was needed as a contrast to the seemingly incompetent Miss Marple. 

The murder/mystery aspect of it was rather good.  It doesn't help that I already know who did it, but the book was different enough from the adapations that I wasn't bored.  Some of the characters seemed superfluous, but I suspect that they are there mainly as potential suspects.  The addition of Raymond West, Miss Marple's nephew, was unexpected - he isn't in the adapations - so I was pleasantly surprised . . . until he opened his mouth.  Bit of a bummer that.

So while I did not have the reading experience I was hoping for, I am glad I picked up this book.  Could have been a 5 star read, if only it was from Miss Marples POV.

That's all for my quick review of The Murder at the Vicarage.  Let me know if you agreed with me, or if you loved - or hated - the book, I'd love to hear your thoughts about this.

Until next time,

 

Book Review - The Hexed

The Hexed
Krewe of Hunters #13
Heather Graham

Published: July 2014

Harlequin MIRA, mass market pbk, 390p.
ISBN: 978-174356597-1

A place of history, secrets. . . and witchcraft

Devin Lyle has recently returned to the Salem area, but her timing couldn't be worse.  Soon after she moved into the eighteenth-century cabin she inherited from her great-aunt Mina - her 'crazy' great-aunt, who spoke to the dead - a woman was murdered nearby.

Craig 'Rocky' Rockwell is a new member of the Krewe of Hunters, the FBI's team of paranormal investigators.  He never got over finding a friend dead in the woods.  Now another body's been foud in those same woods, not far from the home of Devin Lyle.  And Devin has been led to a third body - by a ghost?

Her discovery draws them both deeper into the case and Salem's rich and disturbing history.  Even as the danger mounts, Devin and Rocky begin to fall for each other - something the ghosts of Mina and past witches seem to approve of.  But the two of them need every skill they possess to learn the truth - of Devin's might be the next body in the woods. . .

Ghosts, ghosts and more ghosts!  Throw in some witches, Salem, a couple of bodies and you've got The Hexed in a nutshell.  I'm a sucker for witches and genealogy, so I really enjoyed the history that Heather Graham incorporated in to the storyline.  

The characters in The Hexed were exactly what you'd expect from a Romance book.  You have a pretty girl who meets the handsome, strong and possibly heroic guy.  They get into trouble, fall in love/lust, make out like little bunnies, solve a murder and possibly live happily ever after.  So if you're looking for amazing characters that will break your heart with their realism, then perhaps this isn't the book for you.

However if you are still interested The Hexed follows Devlin, said pretty girl, and our protagonist who has recently moved into her great-aunt's cabin.  There, along with Poe - the raven she inherited -  Devlin writes childrens books.  One day she hears cries for help from the woods surrounding her home.  In true romance fiction style our budding sleuth heads out to see what's happening, only to stumble upon the body of a newly dead woman.  Devlin runs for the road and flags down a car - this car belongs to Rocky, our potentially heroic love interest, who has been sent to find out who is killing the women.  Mystery and chaos ensue.

Apart from our lovers, Devlin and Rocky, there are more than the usual number of secondary characters that don't hesitate to jump into the action.  All are interesting in their own way, and all have links to a murder that took place over 10 years earlier.  Out of all the characters, my favourites would have to be Great-Aunt Mina - yes, she does have a part to play - as well as Poe, the guard Raven who protects Devlin.

On to said mystery angle.  It was well constructed and executed, with suspect all over the place.  They make good grist for misdirection mill by the author, and it worked.  My attention was successfully diverted from the identity of the real killer - I definitely didn't see it coming.  The identity of the killer came right out of left field.  So congrats to the author in that respect.

I will say that while most of my experience reading The Hexed was positive, there were a few issues that really niggled.  The first is that there is no real relationship between Devlin and Rocky.  Just a closeness enforced by a murder investigation.  Amazingly, they managed to hold off jumping into bed until the last third of the book (which is quite refreshing for a change!).   Also - and this is my biggest criticism - that there was no real resolution in regards to the punishment of the killer once he/she/it were caught {trying not to give any spoilers away there ;-D}.  There was no trial, or any other measurable means of justice.  Very annoying to invest in a book and then feel let down at the end.

So in conclusion, while The Hexed is not in the same literary league as War and Peace, or even The Diviners, this book did tick most of the boxes that I look for in regards to a M&B style romance book.  It was fast paced, and the world building let me envisage the characters, and their story easily.  Harlequin MIRA has been publishing some amazing mysteries in the last couple of years and I would recommend that you try them as they aren't all straight up romance with a bit of mystery on the side.  In all I really enjoyed reading The Hexed.  It is a quick read (I finished in under 4 hours) and would be great for travelling.

Until next time,

 

Review: Thankless in Death

Thankless in Death
In Death, Book 37
J.D. Robb

Released: Feb 2014

Berkley, mass market paperback, 371 p.
ISBN: 978-0-515-15413-9


Lieutenant Eve Dallas has plenty to be grateful for, especially Roarke's big Irish family, which is a joyful improvement on her own dark childhood.

Other couples aren't as lucky.  The Reinholds, for example, are lying in their home stabbed and bludgeoned almost beyond recognition.  Those who knew them are stunned - and heartbroken by the evidenc that they were murdered by their own son.

Turns out that twenty-six-year-old Jerry is not only capable of brutality but has taken a liking to t.  With the money he's stolen from his parents and a long list of grievences, he intends to finally make his mark on the world.  Eve and her team already know the who, how, and why of these murders.  What they need to pinpoint is where Jerry's going to strike next.

I was fully prepared to dive right into Thankless in Death {TiD} and have a great time - as I usually do - in the world of Eve & Roarke.   However, I was surprisingly disappointed with TiD.  Having the antagonist served up on a silver platter - name, motive, and all - was actually quite boring.  I much prefer it when Eve, and team of course, have to push themselves to the last minute to uncover the identity of their unsub - as well as their motives.  With Jerry Reinhold as the murderer, it just fell flat!  You can't reveal his identity as a spoiler as this time its stated right there in the blurb!

Miss Marple: A Caribbean Mystery

Yeah!  Finally, something decent to watch on TV again.  I've been eagerly awaiting the new season of Miss Marple for ages, and last night I settled in to watch the first offering of Season 6 - A Caribbean Mystery.  

It did start off slowly, so I wasn't sure how much I would like it.  One potential con was that after all the fiddling they've done with the plot lines over the last couple of series, I wasn't sure how much they'd alter ACM, but surprisingly it was pretty close to the original.   I loved watching Miss Marple and Mr Rafael dancing around one another, until Rafael finally realizes that he's met his intellectual equal in the little old lady from St. Mary Mead.

So, between the condensed time frame (less than 90min), the gorgeous costumes and makeup, plus the beautiful white sandy beach, I was  very happy with the first installment of the 6th series of Miss Marple.   Thankfully, I remembered to record it (for mum to watch), so I can watch it again when the mood strikes.   Must remember to record next weeks offering as well ;-D

Review - Delusion in Death

Delusion in Death

In Death Bk 35
J.D. Robb

Published: 13 September, 2012
PIATKUS, Paperback Trade, 388 p.
ISBN: 978-0-749-95512-0

Available at all good book stores.

'What would cause someone to want so many people, surely many of them strangers, to slaughter each other?'

The scene that greets Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her team one terrible evening in New York is more shocking than any of them have ever witnessed. The usually comfortable downtown bar is strewn with bodies - office workers who have been sliced, bludgeoned or hacked to death with the nearest weapon available. It appears they all turned on each other in a desperate blinding rage.

As Eve and her husband Roarke - who owned the bar among his many properties - investigate the big- business workers of the city, they link the attacks back to the Urban Wars and the chemical warfare used all those years ago. With another slaughter imminent, Eve must turn to unexpected sources in order to stop a killer who is getting revenge by creating mass carnage...

Delusion in Death was certainly worth the wait.  There are only a handful of these books that don't rate 4 plus stars from me, but this isn't one of them.  Set very soon after Celebrity (and only weeks after Eve's confrontation with McQueen and Stella), Eve is thrust back into the headlines with the mass murder of 83 bar goers.
 

A lot of our favourites make an appearance in Delusion.  Dr. Mira and Summerset are always on hand, with Peabody of course working side by side with Eve.  Strangely though, Mavis only has a quick scene, and most of the other cops only rate a mention now and then - even Feeney and McNab seem to revolve around Eve's peripheral view as she races to find a killer and prevent more murders.

 

Be warned - this book has the highest body count to date (127) but apart from a few instances we are spared a lot of the gruesome blow-by-blow details that have come up in some of the previous books.  Having said that, the descriptions that are included can be quite graphic, so if you're really squeamish you might have to skim a few sentences.  This is a back to basics book.  It's about the crimes and the murdered people that Eve takes under her wing.  While there are some funny moments, this is a police procedural at heart.  So if you're expecting to go through the emotional wringer with Eve and Roarke again, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but Robb has concentrated on the murders this time.

My only criticism, and it's a small one, is the adding of new(ish) character very late in the piece - you know who I mean if you've read Delusion.  They were only mentioned in passing a few times in the book, then BAM! new character out of the blue.  Thankfully it works, but it wasn't what I expected that's for sure.

 

For those of you who haven't picked up Delusion yet, I would highly recommend you get your butts down to your local library or bookshop. For you newbies, start with Naked in Death (Book 1) and read them in order. This is important as the world of Eve can get a bit complicated, and with references from previous books being regularly thrown around you'll get lost if you haven't read them.

 

So, in all I enjoyed Delusion in Death.  I devoured it in no time (about 4 hours) and while it wasn't as funny as Celebrity in Death, it was a great addition to the series.  Robb will have to come up with something big to top the last few books.  Alas, I keep waiting for Eve to get pregnant, but I suspect that will only happen in the final book :-P

Be sure to pre-order your copy of Calculated in Death - due 26 February, 2013.

 

 

Gladiatrix

Gladiatrix

Kannon Dupree: Timestalker Bk 1

Rhonda Roberts

HarperVoyager, 2009 (582 p.)
ISBN: 978-0-7322-8855-6

Browse Inside Gladiatrix by Rhonda Roberts

Back cover

When time travel was invented everyone thought it would solve their problems. 

But for 22 year old Kannon Jarratt it's about to turn her life upside down ...

Left for dead in the Blue Mountains when she was just a baby, Kannon has now 

discovered that an American Time Marshal, Victoria Dupree, could be her real 

mother. But Victoria has gone missing in ancient Rome while investigating 

the Hierophant, the mysterious leader of the Isis cult.

Kannon desperately wants to find Victoria but the US National Time Administration 

is standing in her way...

Finally!  An Australian author that kicks arse.  Rhonda Roberts introduces us to Kannon, star of the  Kannon Dupree: Timestalker series.  A feisty new heroine for a new millennium.

Set in a contemporary alternate reality, 22 year old Kannon’s life is about to be turned on its head.  Left for dead in the Blue Mountains as a baby, Kannon survived and is all grown up now.  After the death of her surrogate mother, she begins to look into her own origins and she uncovers the truth of her identity.    Travelling to America, she believes that American Time Marshall, Victoria Dupree, could be her real mother.  Victoria lost her baby girl about the same time that Kannon appeared in Australia, but Victoria has gone missing. Desperate to find Victoria, the only thing that stands in her way is the US National Time Administration . . . and two thousand years.

I devoured this book, and though I have only found a few Aussie authors that write the kind of paranormal/urban fantasy books I like, this does not strictly fall under that category.  A time travelling Aussie was definitely a draw card for me, but it was the cover was what drew my eye. And after reading the blurb I just could not resist temptation.

Kannon is a smart, tough and as much of a kick arse heroine as you could wish for.  It takes balls to travel back in time with no help or background information and yet she does just for the chance to find her mother.  Now, there is a lot of action packed into this detective story, and a dash of espionage thrown in for good measure.  But the icing on the cake is the burgeoning romance between Kannon and an ex-gladiator, Alexander, whose Roman mistress bought him to serve as Kannon’s bodyguard.

Be warned, it can get a little gruesome at times - hello, Gladiators! - but there is no overt or graphic sex in this book thank goodness.

Now, if this ticks all your boxes be aware that so far there two other books published by the author in this series - Hoodwink and Coyote (out 1 Sept 2012) - and you need to read them in order or you'll get totally lost.  If you’re in Australia then Gladiatrix, Hoodwink and Coyote, are available at Collins, Fishpond, QBD, and other bookstores.  I haven’t found paperback copies available on any overseas databases yet like Amazon or Book Depository, though you can buy it as an eBook through Kindle.

If you love Kylie Chan or Keri Arthur then you’ll enjoy this book.  Not for bus or train consumption as you’ll get too into it and not want to stop – and who knows where you’ll end up :P