I'm Over at Preternatura Today

Morning, all! I've reviewed Felix Gilman's The Rise of Ransom City for Suzanne over at Preternatura as part of her Reader's Write series today. Check it out!

An Unmarked Grave by Charles Todd

Morning, everyone! I'm part of the TLC blog tour for Charles Todd's An Unmarked Grave, the fourth title in the Bess Crawford series.

While working as a nurse at a field hospital in France, a startling discovery is brought to Bess's attention: an orderly has found a suspicious body amongst the dead. He's certain that it doesn't belong and a second check of his counts confirms. What's more, the body is unmarked with the exception of an obviously broken neck, leaving both Bess and the orderly concerned. It would seem the dead man was slipped in amongst the other bodies in the hopes that someone could cover it up. What makes it more shocking is that Bess recognizes the dead man as a member of her father's old unit. Before she can inquire or raise any alarms, Bess becomes the latest victim of Spanish Influenza. When she recovers, she fears it was all a dream. That is until the soldier's wife receives notification of his death. But the letter claims the man died on the front, which means his body would never have been at the field hospital at all. Furthermore, it claims he was hit by shrapnel with no mention of a broken neck. Unfortunately, while Bess was ill the orderly died under suspicious circumstances. Now Bess is the only one with any knowledge of the misplaced body. 

Here's the book trailer to pique your interest further:



It was fortunate that this book fell between my finishing Phillip Rock's The Passing Bells and the arrival of the second book in the trilogy. I've been left anxious to begin Circle of Time and, considering it also takes place during WWI, this latest Bess Crawford was just the thing to tide me over!

Though this was my first Bess Crawford (and my first Charles Todd), I had no trouble at all diving in mid-series. The story seems to fare well on its own and I didn't feel as though I was missing any information pertinent to this particular installment. I was aware that I was missing a lot of backstory but if I didn't know this was the fourth in the series, I doubt I would have noticed in the least.

Bess is a truly engaging character. In my opinion she comes across both as a believable heroine of her time but also, considering her sensibilities, appealing to a modern reader. She's clever and determined as well as being a formidable young lady. In spite of being knocked over by the flu and the apparent danger of her knowledge of a murder, she's unwilling to forgo her responsibilities as a nurse and wait for danger to pass. Instead, she returns to France as soon as she has the opportunity -- thereby giving herself the opportunity to investigate in spite of the knowledge that she's put herself right in the crosshairs of a dangerous and ruthless killer.

Charles Todd is the pseudonym for mother and son writing team, Charles and Caroline Todd. This is one of two series the team writes together and, based on this particular installment, it seems they're the perfect union of skills. The story is seamless in both style and pacing. Their research and knowledge of the setting also comes across fantastically. Obviously I have no first hand knowledge of the period, but I found all of the details to be completely convincing.

I'm looking forward not only to starting this series from the beginning, but also in jumping into Todd's Ian Rutledge series next month with Proof of Guilt.

For more stops on the tour visit the official TLC tour page here.

To learn more about the authors and their work, visit their official website here. You can also like them on Facebook.

Uninvited by Liz Jensen

I'm whiling away my weekend reading -- inside where it's warm! And pre posting blog posts.

As with many book addicts, my TBR stack grows exponentially. It's the nature of the business so to speak. Every time I come across an author whose work I enjoy, that author inevitably ends up on the list of future watch fors. And so when I first heard that Liz Jensen had a new book due out, I immediately added it to my "Must Read" list. I truly enjoyed The Rapture when I read it back in 2009 and even though it's been a while, Jensen has never fallen off of my radar.

It begins with the investigation of an act of corporate sabotage. That's Hesketh Lock's job. He has a knack for recognizing patterns and the job is quite simply perfect for a man of his talents, or quirks as they may be. Hesketh has Aspberger's. But wait, that's not really where the story begins. It begins with a murder. A little girl wearing butterfly pajamas who kills her grandmother with a nail gun before turning it on her father and blinding him. Hesketh is intrigued by reports of the case and has just returned from China where he was sent to investigate a case involving illegal wood cutting and trading. A case that was revealed to authorities by an employee of the company behind the act. When Hesketh discovers who's responsible for the sabotage, the explanation is bizarre to say the least. Soon there's another similar instance, this time in Sweden. Hesketh's investigation leads him to believe that not only are the cases connected but that the increasing instances of child violence are part of the same phenomenon. 

As with The Rapture, The Uninvited pulled me in from the very first page. Some readers might find the story a bit slow to begin, but I found Hesketh to be an excellent narrator. His analyzing nature makes the narrative compelling and fascinating. The Uninvited is eerie and chilling and the pacing was perfect for my particular reading mood that day. In fact, I read The Uninvited in just one sitting.

The message behind The Uninvited is hard to miss. The way the tale unfolds and the reveal behind what's really going on aren't in any way awkward or forced, however. Overall it's a very easy and smooth read.

The Uninvited is a thriller with an apocalyptic twist. And one of the most creepy covers ever! An excellent read.

Earthseed by Pamela Sargent

One of the blogs I follow did a quick review post on some teen titles last November and Pamela Sargent's Earthseed was one of the three titles mentioned -- and it was the first I'd really heard of this book. It intrigued me and I immediately added it to my wishlist, having pretty much put a ban on purchasing books for myself for the remainder of 2012. Surprisingly, or not if you know my family, Earthseed ended up under the Christmas tree and was my first official read of 2013 -- perfect timing considering Tor has just rereleased book two, Farseed.

Zoheret and her fellow shipmates were born and raised on Ship, a massive spacecraft built into an asteroid, traveling through the universes in search of a system capable of supporting human life. The teens on board have been preparing for their mission all of their lives. They know that they will be leaving Ship's protection soon and this means they will have to relocate to the wilds of the Hollow -- an Earthlike portion of Ship that will be their final chance to learn to fend for themselves before settling on their new planet. But first, Ship has a challenge for the teens: they will be divided into teams to race across the Hollow. The winning team will be the first to cross in its entirety in the shortest length of time. And there are no rules. 

Of course violence breaks out amongst the teens, first thanks to competition and then thanks to another surprise.

The book promises to be a mix of Hunger Games and Lord of the Flies, which it undeniably is. Originally published in 1983, the folks at Tor brilliantly decided to repackage and rerelease Earthseed in 2011. It was also reported that Paramount was interested in producing a film adaptation. Not sure what the progress on that has been so far, but it is listed on IMDB as "In Development" for 2014.

I thought Earthseed was pretty fantastic. It holds up well and fits in easily with the current teen releases especially those like Hunger Games and Beth Revis's Across the Universe trilogy. The story moves quickly and Sargent does delve adequately into the science and psychology of the plot, providing satisfying explanations for what happens on board Ship.

Plus, the premise of a bunch of teens living on a spaceship is a little too fun for me to pass up as I seemingly have a habit of being drawn to that kind of story setting. The conflicts the teens face are particularly intriguing and somewhat shocking, which adds an excellent intensity to the story.

Ages ago (1997), Syfy channel aired one season of a show called Mission Genesis in which six teens on a spaceship are supposed to save the human race. Anywho, I kind of loved the show and Earthseed sounded a little similar in some ways. Honestly, Earthseed would have piqued my interest anyway, but I've missed that show and this was a major deciding factor in so quickly adding the book to my must read list.

As an aside, my addled brain has never been able to remember the name of the show. I was on the brink of digging out old VHS tapes to see if maybe I had captured a commercial until I found Phoebe North's post from December 2010 with the first 8 minutes of the first episode! And now Ms. North's upcoming release from Simon and Schuster is on my wishlist for 2013 'cause anyone who watched Mission Genesis has to be good people :) And yes, amazingly I still have a VCR and I still have a VHS with a recording of this movie from Syfy's 1997 lineup. I am a total geek and I know it.

New releases 1/15/13

Some of the new titles hitting shelves this week are:

The Drowning House by Elizabeth Black

Cover of Snow by Jenny Milchman

The Boy by Lara Santoro

Seven Kings by John R. Fultz

Snow White Must Die by Nele Froetschel

The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini

The Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer

Fear of Beauty by Susan Froetschel

Standing in Another Man's Grave by Ian Rankin

The Good House by Ann Leary

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

Vortex by Julie Cross

Gates of Paradise by Melissa de la Cruz

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

New on DVD:
Taken 2
The Possession


New reviews at Bookbitch.com:
The Passing Bells by Phillip Rock
The One I Left Behind by Jennifer McMahon
What We Saw At Night by Jacquelyn Mitchard

Passing Bells by Phillip Rock

Morning, readers! Two posts in one day -- crazy, I know. Today I'm a stop on the TLC tour for Phillip Rock's Passing Bells, the first installment in the Greville Family trilogy.

I have to give big props to the minds responsible for resurrecting this series. Thanks to the popularity of Downton Abbey, everyone seems to be looking for something Downton-esque these days, which is fortunate for readers and for Rock's trilogy. Originally published back in the 70s, the trilogy has been repackaged and rereleased for all of us Downton fans! (No, there's no connection between the series and Downton except the whole people-who-like-this-will-also-like... deal, which is totally fine with me!)

This first in the trilogy begins in the summer of 1914 just before the beginning of WWI. For the Greville family of Abingdon Pryory, the season begins with plans of daughter Alexandra's introduction as an eligible bachelorette in London and concern over son Charles's infatuation with Lydia Foxe - a match his father, Lord Stanmore, would never approve. Hanna Greville's American nephew has arrived for a visit and talk is centered around home rule concerns. But when war breaks out in Europe, even the Grevilles are not immune to the dangers it presents.

When I first learned of this release, I have to admit I was pretty anxious to get to it. I am a pretty big Downton fan and was very much looking forward to diving into Passing Bells. I found myself completely engrossed from the very beginning. What was surprising, and I've seen others mention this very thing, was that the book took a completely unexpected turn. I definitely thought it be more of the Downton/Upstairs, Downstairs drama, so when part two launched into WWI as heavily as it did, I was a little unprepared. It was a pleasant (if reading about war can be described as pleasant) surprise.

Much of the focus of the book is on the characters and through them we see how people are affected by the war. Each character in turn offers a slightly different way of seeing events. For example, Fenton Wood-Lacy, a friend of the Grevilles, is at the forefront of the battle from the very early stages. Martin, Hanna's nephew, is also in the thick of it as a journalist representing a Chicago paper. Alexandra volunteers as a nurse while her father is reeling not only from the violence in Europe but the massive changes Abingdon is experiencing as a result.

In spite of its size, I found that The Passing Bells moved along at a wonderful pace. I never felt as though the book was hung up or slowed at any point even though it did take me longer to read than many I've delved into of late. This was also a pleasant surprise since it forced me to slow down and savor the read. And it is definitely a book to be savored.

To read an excerpt, visit the publisher's browse inside page here.

For more stops on the tour visit the official TLC tour page here.

What We Saw at Night by Jacquelyn Mitchard & a Guest Post

SOHO launched their new teen line this week with the release of Jacquelyn Mitchard's latest, What We Saw At Night.

Allie, Rob, and Juliet are best friends. They grew up together in their small town of Iron Harbor, home to the renowned Tabor Clinic, and a facility dedicated to the study of Xeroderma Pigmentosum, a rare genetic disorder that results in a deadly sun allergy. All three teens suffer from the disorder leaving their activity confined to the dark. With XP also comes a relatively short life expectancy, but the three of them have embraced their situations and their lives, vowing to live to the fullest. And so it seems natural that they take up parkour, a potentially dangerous sport that involves skill, dedication, and concentration using the environment around them as a means to get around. But their new sport turns dangerous in ways they couldn't imagine when they witness something they never should have seen. Allie knows that they're all in danger but no one believes her. Now it's up to her to prove what they saw and hopefully keep all three of them safe. 

Mitchard is no stranger to the YA world. In fact, she's the author of a number of titles for all ages. For the tour, I asked her about the difference between writing for adults and writing for teens. Here's what she had to say:

The only distinction for me between writing a book for adults and a book "for" teens is that the main characters are teenagers. But that's true in so many great books -- old ones like NATIONAL VELVET and new ones like EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE . I write about different events, because a teen's personal geography is so different from an adults (like, you usually don't see "This takes place in three countries and over a period of twenty years …") In that sense, it's smaller. In the emotional sense, it's steeper. For a kid, every day is a month; every month is a year; every year is an era. Their lives are emotionally epic, and stories have to reflect that. As for standards, vocabulary, writing … oh! I would never write down to a teen audience. They are discriminating and fierce in their judgments.

With What We Saw At Night, I can say that Mitchard definitely succeeds in creating a suspenseful and serious teen mystery. Each of the characters is believable as teens -- never once coming across as teens from an adult perspective. Their issues are mostly typical of teens but the addition of XP makes the story even more interesting. What's more, the mystery is well plotted and leads directly into a follow up title readers will no doubt be clamoring for. I know I'm looking forward to continuing Allie's story in What We Lost in the Dark.

What We Saw At Night is an exciting way to start the new SOHO Teen imprint and is just the first of many titles to come. Feb sees the release of Who Done It? a collection of shorts edited by Jon Scieszka. In March comes Margaux Froley's Escape Theory, April is Michelle Gagnong's Strangelets, May is Joy Preble's The Sweet Dead Life, and June sees the release of Helen FitzGerald's Deviant. For excerpts on each title and more, visit the SOHO Teen page (linked at the top).