Month: August 2014

Book Review: Åsa Larsson’s Sun Storm

Book Review: Åsa Larsson’s Sun Storm

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Sun Stormin Paperback edition on December 26, 2006 and has 336 pages.Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo First in the Rebecka Martinsson mystery series and revolving around a Stockholm lawyer in a personal crisis. It won the 2003 Swedish Crime Writers’ Association Prize for best debut novel. My Take It starts out very spookily as we read of the victim calmly embracing his death, and Larsson builds the tension with hints of past troubles, of religious issues, and parental abuse. There’s a past here, a history that Rebecka has with the church. I’ll admit to a prejudice against organized religion, so that colors what I think. The Catholic priests who abuse children and others, the preachers who abuse the trust of their congregation, and it’s here in this story as well. The so-called Christianity that flies out the window as soon as desire rises up. Whether that desire is for power, money, lust, or fear. I’ve also got a built-in prejudice against von Post since I first encountered Larsson in her […]

Posted August 27, 2014 by Kathy Davie in / 0 Comments

Book Review: Åsa Larsson’s Blood Spilt

Book Review: Åsa Larsson’s Blood Spilt

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Blood Spiltin eBook edition on January 30, 2007 and has 339 pages.Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo Second in the Rebecka Martinsson mystery series set in Sweden in and around Kiruna. My Take Larsson has put a definite twist on the mystery, creating both a cozy story and an in-depth look at everyday Swedish culture with The Blood Spilt similar to Sun Storm, 1, in that again, priests are dying around Kiruna. It did take a bit before I realized that the first chapter was the murder happening. There was a surreal quality to it and yet it played to the basics of the people in this area. Business is really different in Sweden. Rebecka is unable to work, and her office keeps insisting she take time off. Can you see that happening in the States? Hah! Of course it does help that her aid in Sun Storm has brought the firm a lot of good publicity — and clients. Between the first story, Sun Storm, and the fifth, The Second […]

Posted August 26, 2014 by Kathy Davie in / 0 Comments

Book Review: C.E. Murphy’s Mountain Echoes

Book Review: C.E. Murphy’s Mountain Echoes

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Mountain EchoesIt is part of the Walker Papers #8 series and is a in eBook edition on February 26, 2013 and has 352 pages.Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo Other books in this series include [books_series] Eighth in the Walker Papers urban fantasy series about a former Seattle cop who has been learning the ropes as a mage/shaman and battling Irish goddesses — some of whom are family! My Take Whoa…! It’s gotta be old home week for Joanne these days. In Raven Calls, 7, it was a family reunion with her mom’s side of the family. This time around, we’re finding out more about Dad and his background. One that Joanne comes to regret for all her lost opportunities as she learns the truth behind their nomadic travels, the truth to why her dad called her Jo. Poor Jo. Most of the previous stories have found her learning that she missed a lot as she was growing up, mostly due to the chip she’s been hauling around on her shoulder. […]

Posted August 26, 2014 by Kathy Davie in / 0 Comments

Sunday’s Progress and the Monday Wrap-Up For the Bout of Books 11.0

Sunday’s Progress and the Monday Wrap-Up For the Bout of Books 11.0

This is the final update on the Bout of Books, the book challenge I set myself last Monday — with the help of Bout of Books! It’s been an interesting challenge, and I definitely did better this time around in terms of getting reviews done during the week. Naturally, I didn’t complete them all… I must leave something for me to work toward *eye roll & a grin*. Goals Robin Hobb’s Fool’s Assassins George Hagen’s Gabriel Finley and the Raven’s Riddle Jill Shalvis’ It’s in His Kiss Steve LeBel’s Bernie and the Putty T.S. Krupa’s Safe & Sound Shana Festa’s Induction Jennifer L. Holmes’ The Fourteenth Goldfish Courtney Mann’s I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You Philippa Carr’s The Changeling Elmore Leonard’s Rum Punch Thaddeus Russell’s A Renegade History of the US Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child’s Relic Åsa Larsson’s Blood Spilt Lee Child’s Personal A.J. Betts’ Zac & Mia R.C. Lewis’ Stitching Snow Taylor Anderson’s Deadly Shores Erin McCarthy’s Shatter Updates Tuesday Number of pages read: 1,064 Number of books read: 3 George Hagen’s Gabriel Finley and the Raven’s Riddle had me of two minds. It’s a great twist and quite original, but there were a couple […]

Posted August 25, 2014 by Kathy Davie in Challenges / 0 Comments

Updating My Progress (thru Saturday) For the Bout of Books 11.0

Updating My Progress (thru Saturday) For the Bout of Books 11.0

Goals Robin Hobb’s Fool’s Assassins George Hagen’s Gabriel Finley and the Raven’s Riddle Jill Shalvis’ It’s in His Kiss Steve LeBel’s Bernie and the Putty T.S. Krupa’s Safe & Sound Shana Festa’s Induction Jennifer L. Holmes’ The Fourteenth Goldfish Courtney Mann’s I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You Philippa Carr’s The Changeling Elmore Leonard’s Rum Punch Thaddeus Russell’s A Renegade History of the US Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child’s Relic Åsa Larsson’s Blood Spilt Lee Child’s Personal A.J. Betts’ Zac & Mia R.C. Lewis’ Stitching Snow Taylor Anderson’s Deadly Shores Erin McCarthy’s Shatter Updates Tuesday Number of pages read: 1,064 Number of books read: 3 George Hagen’s Gabriel Finley and the Raven’s Riddle had me of two minds. It’s a great twist and quite original, but there were a couple of really stupid moves that dragged its rating down. Read my review. Jill Shalvis’ It’s in His Kiss wasn’t kidding. Read more about what I think of this sweet romance with growth required of both protagonists and typical of Shalvis’ Lucky Harbor series. T.S. Krupa’s Safe & Sound was so sad and so sweet. I wanted to turn around and read it all over again. Check out my […]

Posted August 24, 2014 by Kathy Davie in Challenges / 0 Comments