Once We Were Brothers by Ronald H. Balson

It has been decades since Ben Solomon last saw Otto Piatek. A Jew and a German during WWII, the two boys were raised together as brothers until the Nazis invaded Poland. Where they were once like brothers, they gradually became enemies with Piatek betraying the family that had treated him as one of their own. When Ben sees Elliot Rosenzweig in Chicago, he immediately recognizes him as Piatek. But Rosenzweig is a well respected member of Chicago society. What's more Rosenzweig claims to be a Holocaust survivor himself. Solomon is insistent, however, and with the help of a local attorney hopes to force Rosenzweig into publicly admitting he is Piatek.

It's a bit strange to admit but I am drawn to WWII (and WWI now that I think about it) stories. In part I'm sure it's because this is a part of history that I didn't personally experience. It's hard to even imagine all things considered. And yet there are some works - both books and movies - that draw such a vivid and horrific picture of that time period that it does allow the reader to almost (almost but never completely) see and understand some aspects of the period in question.

I also enjoy them - enjoy seems like an odd word to use - because of the fact that I don't feel any of my own history classes did anywhere near an adequate job of portraying the different facets of this war and the people involved. Don't get me wrong, what I recall of the Fall of Europe course I took in college and my fabulous professor was great, but I definitely don't remember much about Poland for example, which is much of the focus of this particular story.

Anyway, my point is that when Ronald H. Balson's self published debut caught the eye of the folks at St. Martins, which in turn landed a review copy in my hands, it was very much at the top of my "to read" stack along with a few of its brethren, The Book Thief and The Paris Architect. And the reading came quick on the heels of having watched My Best Enemy and The Round Up.

Balson's book does take a bit of a different approach in that it is narrated from the point of view of Ben Solomon in 2004. The story he relays is of course leading up to and during WWII but under the premise that he is telling his story to hopefully gain retribution so many years after the fact. It doesn't downplay the seriousness of his story in any way, but it does allow Balson an opportunity to explain some of the facts to a readership that may not outright understand it all.

Unfortunately it's also my one complaint about the book. There are times when Solomon's explanations to Catherine and his answers to her questions, posed as someone who obviously didn't experience Nazi occupation in Poland, become a bit dry and too much like a classroom setting. Not enough to turn off a reader in my opinion, but it did affect the overall pacing, bogging down parts of the story.

It was clear that the author took great pains to get the facts correct in the book and all in all it was a very good read. If you have time, I suggest checking out this interview with the author from Morning Shift on WBEZ.

Rating: 3.5/5

The Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Pamela Mingle Excerpt + Giveaway

Hi, all! Next week I'll be part of the TLC book tour for Pamela Mingle's P&P follow up, The Pursuit of Mary Bennet. But I have some goodies for you first! Thanks to the publisher I've got an excerpt to tease you with today - to celebrate the book's release - and a chance for you to win your very own copy.

To get you started, here's a bit about the book from Goodreads:

For most of her life Mary Bennet has been an object of ridicule. With a notable absence of the social graces, she has been an embarrassment to her family on more than one occasion. But lately, Mary has changed. She's matured and attained a respectable, if somewhat unpolished, decorum. But her peace and contentment are shattered when her sister Lydia turns up-very pregnant and separated from Wickham. Mary and Kitty are bustled off to stay with Jane and her husband. It is there that Mary meets Henry Walsh, whose attentions confound her. Unschooled in the game of love, her heart and her future are at risk. Is she worthy of love or should she take the safer path? In her journey of self-acceptance, she discovers the answer.

Pamela Mingle is local here in Colorado and I can't wait to dive into the book. Check back here next Monday for my review!

Chapter One

Sometimes anger is a living thing. It rose up in my chest and made me want to chew thorns. They would tear at the tender flesh on the roof of my mouth, at my cheeks and tongue. When I swallowed, the sweet, salty taste of blood would linger on my palate, along with pointy bits of thorn. I squeezed my eyes shut, contemplating the pain.

Why was I loitering outside the upstairs sitting room, eavesdropping on a conversation between my parents? Especially since it aroused such ire in me. That couldn’t be healthy. I leaned closer.

“To see all my girls but one settled. Such joy!” Mama said.

“Is Kitty engaged, then?” my father asked.

“She soon will be, mark my words. We will have another wedding by Michelmas.”

We had already celebrated three weddings in the family. My two elder sisters, Jane and Elizabeth, had wed wealthy and propertied gentlemen three years ago, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. Lydia, my youngest sister, formed a rather disastrous union with one Mr. Wickham, formerly of the militia, and went off to live in Newcastle, as he was currently attached to a regiment quartered there. Only Kitty and I remained at home.

“Ah, you refer to Mr. Walsh, I assume,” Papa said. “Jane describes him as a reserved sort of fellow. Not at all the kind I thought Kitty would have chosen. Perhaps she is too eager to be wed.”

I nearly choked on the irony. Kitty’s foremost preoccupation was with finding a husband. And success at last! She had lately acquired a beau, a friend of Mr. Bingley, whom she met during a lengthy stay with Jane and my brother-in-law. The very man my parents were now discussing.

“What do you mean? He’s a handsome man, and has £6,000 a year! You only met him the once, Mr. Bennet, and cannot have formed a correct impression. And anyway, who cares if he is reserved?”

“Kitty, perhaps?” 

I pressed my lips together to quell a laugh. I pictured Mama casting my father a severe look, and knew his gaze in return would not waver. “Walsh has made his intentions clear, then. Shall I expect a visit from him soon?”

“Not yet, but it won’t be long.” Assured for some time of the matrimonial nature of the relationship, she had, I was quite certain, already spread the idea around the neighborhood.

“What of Mary? Does she wish to wed?” Why was he inquiring about me? No one ever thought of me when marriage was discussed. I was a person of no consequence. I’d never had suitors, nor did I desire any.

“Mary will make an excellent governess for Jane or Lizzy’s children someday,” Mama said. “Marriage is not for her. I cannot think of any man who would have her.”

Poor Mary!

And now for the giveaway. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, December 9. US only please and no PO boxes.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Lost Girls of Rome by Donato Carrisi

Oh, goodness. This was a busy, busy weekend. I did manage to squeeze in some quality reading time with Donato Carrisi's latest, though. This was a whopper of a read!

Sandra's husband has been dead for over five months now but she's done everything she can to avoid dealing with the loss. As an investigative journalist, his work sent him all over the globe. At the time of his death he was supposed to be in Oslo, or at least that's what he'd told her. Why then was his body discovered in Rome? Unable to bear the thought that he could have been hiding something, Sandra has yet to even go through his bags from the trip. But a call from Interpol finally prompts her to do so propelling her into an investigation that she believes may have led to her husband's murder. 

The Lost Girls of Rome is a testament to plotting brilliance! From the very start there are so many threads of story that it seems almost impossible they'll all connect. But connect they do and in a way that I'd bet even the most savvy mystery and thriller reader will never predict! The Whisperer easily landed Carrisi on my favorites list but I think The Lost Girls of Rome still managed to surpass my expectations.

First you have a medic whose sister was kidnapped. The prologue begins with a call to a remote estate and a dying man with the words "Kill me" written on his chest. Near his body, one of the only clues to the medic's sister's disappearance.

Next you have Marcus and Clemente investigating the home of a missing girl. The girl may be tied to the medic's missing sister and the man from the beginning but it's Marcus's job not only to determine how but to hopefully find the missing girl.

Then you have Sandra, a cop whose husband's recent death was ruled an accident. As mentioned above, he was secretive about where he really was on his most recent job and Sandra has put off dealing with everything associated with his death.

And finally you have the hunter, a mysterious character stalking a mastermind criminal able to hide seemingly in plain view.

I won't give anything else away but I will tell you that like Carrisi's debut, The Whisperer, The Lost Girls of Rome is exceptional and extremely dark! And like it's predecessor, this latest also has a number of clever twists.

The Lost Girls of Rome is translated from Italian by Howard Curtis. As translations go, both this title and Carrisi's previous one are outstanding. Really an all around highly recommended read in my opinion, especially if you like your thrillers dark and twisty!

Rating: 5/5

New releases 11/26/13

Some of the new titles hitting shelves this week are:

Morning Glory by Sarah Jio

The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani

The Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Pamela Mingle

Our Picnics in the Sun by Morag Joss

Sinister by Lisa Jackson et al

Last to Rise by Francis Knight

The Land Across by Gene Wolfe

Pawn by Aimee Carter

New on DVD:
Red 2

New reviews at Bookbitch.com:
Day One by Nate Kenyon

Pre Pub Book Buzz: Hidden by Catherine McKenzie

Or my version of Waiting on Wednesday :)

Some of you might recall my gushing praise of Catherine McKenzie's 2012 releases, Spin, Arranged, and Forgotten. All three were at the top of my list of books read that year. I've been anxiously awaiting McKenzie's fourth release, Hidden, antsy as hell because it's been out in her native Canada since this past summer. We here in the States still have a bit of a wait, but every day is one day closer to the April 1st release!

Here's a bit about the book from Goodreads:

While walking home from work one evening, Jeff Manning is struck by a car and killed. Not one but two women fall to pieces at the news: his wife, Claire, and his co-worker Tish. Reeling from her loss, Claire must comfort her grieving son and contend with funeral arrangements, well-meaning family members and the arrival of Jeffs estranged brother, her ex-boyfriend Tim. With Tish's co-workers in the dark about her friendship with Jeff outside of the office, she volunteers to attend the funeral on the companys behalf, but only she knows the true risk of inserting herself into the wreckage of Jeff's life. Told through the three voices of Jeff, Tish, and Claire, Hidden explores the complexity of relationships, the repercussions of our personal choices, and the responsibilities we have to the ones we love.

Considering how blown away I've been not only by McKenzie's books but her overall taste in fiction in general, I definitely expect Hidden to be an incredible read.

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Cassie learned early on how to read people. Her mother claimed to be a psychic but Cassie's pretty sure she was nothing but a fraud. That doesn't mean that she wasn't gifted with an ability, an ability that she passed on to Cassie and taught her to use. Cassie is what the FBI calls a Natural. She and a handful of other teens have been tapped for a new and elite program with the feds. Here, they're taught to use their gifts with the intent to help solve some of the toughest cold cases. But when a current case shows a marked similarity to Cassie's mother's murder, she finds herself the center of a killer's attentions. 

Hello! This is exactly the kind of thriller I wanted when I was a teen. One with teens in a fairly believable setting as the main characters. The only thing that I ever found even close to this all those years ago was Christopher Golden's Body of Evidence series.

Sure, as an adult I might be tempted to try and pick this apart and say the scenario is a stretch. Honestly, I just enjoyed reading the book so much that I didn't even pay that much attention. In the book, the way Barnes has set up Cassie's meet and greet with the feds and the first few days of her training, it honestly does make almost total sense that these teens would be working with the FBI on cold cases. Almost. But I will say this, the pacing of the story left me very little time to really start to over analyze the training situation.

One thing that did get to me a little was the sort of banter-ish/show offy nature of the students. And actually, now that I think about it it's just been so long since I was a teen or around teens that I may have forgotten just how badly teens want to one up each other in showing off their talents. Wait. That's not just teens :) The book was just the right length that it toed the line in getting a bit annoying but only just.

Even as a teen I was a pretty savvy mystery reader and while I had my suspicions about the killer, I had no clue about the ultimately revealed motivation. Didn't see that coming at all! So good one, Jennifer Lynn Barnes!

My opinion, The Naturals is an excellent read for teens craving a great thriller. There's a bit of cross over potential for adults who are ok with diving into a slightly iffy (think teen Criminal Element) scenario and spending time with some believably teen characters. This is a series set up so while Barnes  does a good job in her character development, there are some obvious holes to take advantage of in spreading out more story.

Rating: 3.5/5

Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson

Good morning, readers! Today I'm a stop on the TLC book tour for Joshilyn Jackson's latest, Someone Else's Love Story.

When Shandi Pierce set off with her son Natty and best friend Walcott in a tiny VW filled with all of her possessions, it was just to move to her father's condo in the city. The location was closer to college and the new school her three-year-old genius would be attending. But fate stepped in placing Shandi and Natty in the middle of a gas station hold up. William Ashe saved the day only to get shot himself and in their shared moments Shandi fell a little in love with William. But William is a broken man. As he deals with the loss of his wife and daughter, he'll have to decide if he's ready to open up to someone else. 

Oh, this is such a sweet and wonderful story! I'd already fallen in love with these characters when I read the little e short tie in, "My Own Miraculous." In the story, we meet Shandi, Natty, and Walcott as well as their families. It's not at all necessary to have read it to read Someone Else's Love Story but it was a nice prologue to the book and my first taste of Jackson's work. I definitely recommend it.

It's also clear if you read "My Own Miraculous" that Shandi is dealing with some big issues. Issues that she begins to face very early on in Someone Else's Love Story: her parents and her son. In fact, the circumstances behind her pregnancy were a curious point in the short that I expected would be addressed in the book and boy was it! Shandi, William, and Walcott are each forced to face things they've been avoiding as a result of the hold up.

And William. Oh, William! It's true that Asperger's and autism have become a bit of a trend of late. It's my understanding that this was a bit of a thorn in Jackson's side and that William had been on her mind for quite some time. I thought she did a wonderful job in writing William and his perspective, again striking a great balance with his POV without ever going too far. It helps with the way his particular story plays out as well, all things considered. 

Jackson has a charming style. Her characters here are all southern without being over the top. Her story is a perfect balance of quirky and heartwarming but there are some tense and even some tearjerking moments as well. I also have to add in that I immediately pictured Walcott as Arthur Darville here! Maybe it's because I'm in Doctor Who mode but I couldn't help it. Seriously, Who was the only thing that tore me away from reading this book! (I was smitten by Walcott early on in spite of his being a poet.) 

All in all, this is such an exceptional read for so many reasons. This will not be my last time reading Jackson, I can assure you of that!

Rating: 5/5

To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here. 

For more on Joshilyn Jackson and her work, you can visit her website here. You can also like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.