Visiting Vienna + A Giveaway!

City of Lost Dreams by Magnus Flyte (Penguin trade paperback, 26 November 2013).

Musicologist Sarah Weston has headed to Vienna in search of a cure for her student and friend Pollina Rutherford, who is dying of a rare illness.  She's hoping to convince a brilliant, but eccentric Viennese doctor to take on Pollina's case.  Meanwhile, the dwarf Nico Pertusato is on a similar quest in London, except that he is searching for an alchemical answer from artifacts in various museums. 

As Pollina gets sicker and weaker, her friends become more and more desperate to find a treatment for her.  But not only do both Sarah and Nico continue to be thwarted in their search, they somehow manage to not only follow wild geese, but get into trouble at every turn.

City of Lost Dreams is an intriguing sequel to City of Dark Magic (2012).  Many of the core characters return:  Sarah, Nico, Prince Max, Pollina and her caretakers, and even Sarah's former Boston roommate Alessandro, now studying medicine in Vienna.  Although there isn't as much time-shifting as in the first book, City of Lost Dreams makes up for it with bloodthirsty nobles, espionage, sorcery, humor, and yes, a certain amount of sex and bawdiness.

For a 355-page book it's a remarkably quick read, mostly because it's impossible to put down once begun.  Although a sequel is not even hinted at, the possibility is certainly there.  Here's hoping.


Now, just for fun:




The Penguin Group has very kindly offered a copy of CITY OF LOST DREAMS to one of my readers.  Please comment on this post, and make sure you include your contact information.  Entries from the US only, please.


FTC full disclosure:  Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy of this book. 

Ghosts and witches and magic, oh, my!

In celebration of All Hallows' Eve, I'm reviewing two books with paranormal themes.   Enjoy!


Charms and Chocolate Chips (Magical Bakery #3) by Bailey Cates (Obsidian mass market, 5 November 2013).

Katie Lightfoot is settling nicely into life in Savannah.  She's made some friends (especially the members of her "book club"), is volunteering at a local conservation non-profit, and  her relationship with firefighter Declan McCarthy is progressing nicely.  She's concentrating on developing her craft (both as a baker and as a witch), and hoping not to stumble over any more dead bodies.

Unfortunately, the latter wish doesn't come true.  She arrives at the offices of Georgia Wild for her volunteer shift and finds her friend Wren in shock after discovering another volunteer sprawled across her desk, obviously dead, probably murdered. 

Katie feels compelled to investigate the killing, not only because of her association with  Georgia Wild, but also because she senses that dark arts might be involved. 

The third installment in this series lives up to the standards of the first two.  We learn much more about Katie's history, and why she's still a novice witch.  As always, there are detailed (and tempting) descriptions of food and cooking, and recipes for some of Katie's concoctions are included.


The Thrill of the Haunt (Haunted Guesthouse #5) by E.J. Copperman  (Berkley Prime Crime mass market, 5 November 2012).

Alison Kerby's guesthouse is doing quite well, despite the lingering effects of Hurricane Sandy, thanks to her agreement with the tour company whose clients want to stay in a haunted house.  Her hopes that she won't have to make use of her P.I. license are dashed when a homeless man is killed soon after asking her to help him get rid of the ghosts that are haunting him.  A longtime nemesis of hers insists that Alison investigate the man's death, because obviously it resulted from Alison's declining his request.

Meanwhile, a strange woman checks into the guesthouse just to ask Alison to prove her husband is cheating on her. Another guest wants to rid the house of evil ghostly spirits, and Alison has a tough time convincing her that her ghosts aren't evil, and she doesn't want them exorcised.

At the same time, she's renovating the game room, raising her daughter, and trying to establish her budding relationship with her childhood friend Josh.  Yes, Alison is feeling a little overwhelmed, and she finds herself taking her frustrations out on resident ghosts Maxie and Paul. 

Once again, E.J. Copperman has concocted an absorbing story of the normal, abnormal and paranormal, laced with humor and charm. 



FTC full disclosure:  Many thanks to the publisher for review copies of the books. 

Cozy Monday

A Skeleton in the Family (Family Skeleton Mystery #1) by Leigh Perry (Berkley Prime Crime mass market, 3 September 2013).

I loved this unique fusion of paranormal, cozy, and academic mystery.

Our protagonist is Georgia Thackery, Ph.D., who has accepted an adjunct position at the fictional McQuaid University in her hometown.  Since her parents, tenured English professors at McQuaid, are on sabbatical, and since adjunct professors make very little money,  Georgia and her teenage daughter Madison move into their house for the term.

Georgia's best friend Sid lives in the attic of the house where she grew up.  She's known Sid since they met at a carnival when she was six.  He'd protected her from an attacker and then followed the family home.

Oh, by the way, Sid is a skeleton.

Sid remembers nothing about being alive, and expresses little curiosity about it.  He talks Georgia into allowing him to attend a local comic convention called Mangachusetts, "costumed" as a character from a popular manga.  At the con, he sees someone who seems familiar to him and makes him fearful, though he can't figure out why.

This leads Georgia and Sid to try to learn who Sid had been when he was alive, not an easy prospect, since Sid has no real memories, just impressions and feelings.  There are a few laugh-out-loud moments when Georgia attempts to transport Sid from one place to another without him being seen, but the danger of the investigation is serious.

Leigh Perry is a pseudonym for Toni L.P. Kelner, author of two previously published mystery series, and co-editor (with Charlaine Harris) of several short story anthologies.  A Skeleton in the Family provides more evidence of her skill as a writer.



FTC Full Disclosure:  Many thanks to the publisher for providing  a review copy of the book.

Monday Mini-reviews

I immersed myself in books while I was on hiatus.
These are a few of the cozies I enjoyed most.


The Christie Curse (Book Collector Mystery #1) by Victoria Abbott (Berkley Prime Crime mass market, 5 March 2013).

Forced to move back to her hometown, because of student loans and an embezzling ex, Jordan Bingham is desperate for a job.  And a place to live that isn't with her elderly uncles.
There aren't many possibilities for a person with a Master's in English, but then she spots the newspaper ad for a "researcher".
She's soon hired by the last scion of the town's founding family to search for a previously unknown play by Agatha Christie.  She's even more thrilled that the position comes with room and board -- but is someone sneaking into her room when she's out?

I LOVED this book.  Victoria Abbott is the nom-de-plume of collaborators Mary Jane Maffini and her daughter Victoria, and the sequel, The Sayers Swindle, is due in the fall of this year.


A Fête Worse Than Death (Hemlock Falls Mystery #18) by Claudia Bishop (Berkley Prime Crime mass market, 5 March 2013).

Sarah "Quill" Quilliam has to learn how to say "no".    Now that she's a married working mother, she's got plenty to keep her busy, even though her husband is off somewhere he can't disclose.
When the chair of the Finger Lakes Autumn Fête quits abruptly, the mayor hires a professional event planner.  But when her body is found in the trunk of a car, Sarah finds herself not only being asked to take over the Fête, but to investigate a murder.  

 Claudia Bishop (Mary Stanton) sent a message to the members of her mailing list a few days ago, apologizing for the length of time between installments of her series (Hemlock Falls, Beaufort & Company, and The Unicorns of Balinor), but she's alternating between those and a "bigger" book with the working title of Finnegan.


The Good, the Bad, and the Witchy (Wishcraft Mystery #3) by Heather Blake (Obsidian mass market, 2 April 2013).

Darcy Merriweather loves living in the magical Enchanted Village, and her recently discovered powers as a Wishcrafter.  And running the personal concierge service As You Wish with her Aunt Ve is great, although some customers can be SO demanding.
Harriette Harkette, who is throwing herself an eightieth bithday gala is one of those, so when the birthday cake doesn't show up on time, Darcy goes to the bakery to check on it.  When she finds the delivery van behind the building, with the driver's corpse nearby she seriously wishes she'd stop finding dead bodies.
Unfortunately, she can't grant her own wishes, but she can figure out what happened.

Heather Blake (a pseudonym for Heather Webber) has created a charming world with some delightfully eccentric characters.  She also has another paranormal mystery series, The Magic Potion Mysteries, being released in November 2013.




FTC Full Disclosure:  Many thanks to the publisher for sending me review copies of these books.

Histrionic Haunts

Chance of a Ghost (Haunted Guesthouse #4) by E.J. Copperman (Berkley Prime Crime mass market, 5 February 2013).

Alison Kerby is pretty close to her mother, so when Loretta shares with her daughter that she's been seeing the ghost of Alison's father on the sly, Alison is surprised and hurt.  Alison was very close to her dad, so the thought that he wouldn't want to see her again is painful. 

Loretta doesn't know why Jack Kerby is avoiding his daughter, but is unable to ask him because he hasn't appeared for their Tuesday date in a few weeks.  She's been approached by the recently deceased Lawrence Laurentz, a former neighbor, telling her that Jack is being held against his will.  He offers to help them find him if they will figure out who killed him, claiming he couldn't see who electrocuted him.

When Alison hears this, she's immediately suspicious, and even more so when she meets the pompous and melodramatic former actor.  With the help of guesthouse ghosts Maxie and former P.I. Paul,  Alison, Loretta, and Alison's daughter Melissa, they attempt to discern whether Laurentz actually was killed, and if so by whom.

Copperman deftly manages to blend paranormal elements into a humorous, light mystery that's interesting and enjoyable.   The charming characters and  well-constructed story are reminiscent of black-and-white films and early television comedies.


FTC Full Disclosure: Many thanks to the publisher, who sent me a copy of the book for review purposes. 

February releases

The mass market paperbacks below will be released on Tuesday, February 5.

Every Trick in the Book (Novel Idea #2) by Lucy Arlington (Berkley Prime Crime).

Lila Wilkins has it all: the home of her dreams in the charming town of Inspiration Valley, North Carolina; a perfect police officer boyfriend; and a new job she absolutely loves. At the Book and Author Festival, which is sponsored by the Novel Idea Literary Agency, Lila expects to discover some talented new authors, but what she finds instead is the body of an editor to whom she bears an eerie resemblance.

Trouble is, the editor’s death isn’t the only literary murder taking place. Soon a blossoming author is also killed, and Lila has a gut feeling that the two murders are linked. Now she must hunt down the dark figure who killed these women—and to her surprise, she just might find the clues hidden in a manuscript…


One Hot Murder (Victoria Square #3) by Lorraine Bartlett (Berkley Prime Crime). 

Katie Bonner, the reluctant manager of Artisans Alley in the quaint shopping district of Victoria Square, is no stranger to ambivalence. Things have been going hot and heavy with pizza maker Andy Rust—so much so that Katie has moved in over his pizza parlor. But now that summer’s ushered in a heat wave, an apartment above pizza ovens without an air conditioner is making Katie hot and bothered.

At the height of the heat wave, a tragic fire strikes Victoria Square. Wood U, a small store selling wooden gifts and small furniture, is destroyed. But the fire may just be a smoke screen—for murder. A body is found among the charred wreckage, and the victim didn’t die from smoke inhalation. He was shot. Now—despite making Detective Ray Davenport hot under the collar—Katie is determined to smoke out a coldhearted killer…


Buried in a Bog (County Cork #1) by Sheila Connolly (Berkley Prime Crime).

Honoring the wish of her late grandmother, Maura Donovan visits the small Irish village where her Gran was born—though she never expected to get bogged down in a murder mystery. Nor had she planned to take a job in one of the local pubs, but she finds herself excited to get to know the people who knew her Gran.

In the pub, she’s swamped with drink orders as everyone in town gathers to talk about the recent discovery of a nearly one-hundred-year-old body in a nearby bog. When Maura realizes she may know something about the dead man—and that the body’s connected to another, more recent, death—she fears she’s about to become mired in a homicide investigation. After she discovers the death is connected to another from almost a century earlier, Maura has a sinking feeling she may really be getting in over her head...


Chance of a Ghost (Haunted Guesthouse #4) by E.J. Copperman (Berkley Prime Crime).

Even with a blizzard bearing down on New Jersey, Alison can count on at least two guests—Paul and Maxie, the stubborn ghosts who share her shore town inn. Then there’s her widowed mother, who hasn’t just been seeing ghosts, she’s been secretly dating one: Alison’s father. But when he stands her up three times in a row, something’s wrong. Is he a lost soul…or a missing apparition?

Their only lead is an overdramatic spirit—stage name Lawrence Laurentz—who doesn’t take direction well and won’t talk until they find his killer. Alison will reluctantly play the part of PI, but when the clues take a sinister turn, the writing is on the wall: If Alison can’t keep a level head, this will be her father’s final act—and maybe her own.


Out of Circulation (Cat in the Stacks #4) by Miranda James (Berkley Prime Crime).

The Ducote sisters are in a tiff with Vera Cassity over the location of this year's library fundraising gala, and Charlie would rather curl up in a corner than get into the fray. It seems everyone--even his housekeeper Azalea--has it in for Vera. And at the gala, she gives them good reason, with a public display of rancor aimed at anyone who gets in her way.

But those bitter words wind up being her last. When Charlie discovers Azalea standing over Vera's dead body, it's up to him--with a little help from Diesel--to clear Azalea's name, and catch a killer before his last chapter is finished.


Oodles of Poodles (Pet Rescue #4) by Linda O. Johnston (Berkley Prime Crime). 

Pet rescuer Lauren Vancouver is observing production on a new movie called Sheba’s Story. The title character—a white Miniature poodle—is played by many similar-looking poodles, and to make sure no animals are harmed, Lauren’s friend, veterinarian Carlie Stellan, and Grant, a handsome representative from the American Humane Association, are on location. But when the film’s director is killed in a suspicious hit-and-run after arguing with Carlie about animal safety, it’s up to Lauren to clear her friend’s name and catch a killer before someone else ends up in oodles of deadly trouble.


Cat Trick (Magical Cats #4) by Sofie Kelly (Obsidian).

The local businesses of Mayville Heights hope to convince Chicago-based company Legacy Tours to sell a vacation package for their town. Legacy Tours partner Mike Glazer grew up in Mayville Heights, but he’s no longer the small-town boy people once knew. Even the local bootlegger has an issue with the bossy loudmouth Mike has become—until someone shuts him up for good.

When Kathleen discovers Mike’s body on the boardwalk, she can’t help but get involved in the investigation—even if her beau, Detective Marcus Gordon, would rather she didn’t. Now, with a little help from Owen and Hercules, it’s up to Kathleen to make sure the killer is booked for an extended stay in prison before someone else takes a permanent vacation. 

Knot What it Seams (Southern Quilting #2) by Elizabeth Craig (Obsidian).

Dwindling membership has the Village Quilters hanging by a thread, and group leader Meadow Downey is desperate to recruit some new folks. With Beatrice’s blessing, she attempts to weave frequent quilt show judge Jo Paxton into their fold. As the town’s irascible mail carrier, Jo delivers trouble wherever she goes. And with all that mail at her fingertips, she knows everyone’s business. Soon Beatrice wonders if they’ve made the right choice.

After a car accident sends Jo to meet her Maker, it’s discovered someone tampered with her brakes. Meadow believes someone’s out to eradicate the Village Quilters, but Beatrice isn’t so sure. Now she and her fellow quilters will have to piece together the clues, or a deadly killer might strike again.…

Dealing With Druids

Bewitched, Bothered, and Biscotti (Magical Bakery #2) by Bailey Cates (Obsidian  mass market, 31 December 2012).

Katie Lightfoot and her friend Declan are having a breakfast picnic in the park  when they spot a man lying under the bushes.  Upon further investigation, they realize the man is no longer alive, and call the police.

Fortunately, Katie's friend Detective Peter Quinn is assigned to the case.  Unfortunately, he has a new partner named Franklin Taite, who Katie doesn't quite trust.

The dead man turns out to be Lawrence Eastmore, an art instructor at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and a member of an exclusive men's club called the Dragohs, as their president Heinrich Dawes informs her.  Katie's friend Steve, who happens to be Heinrich's son, inadvertently reveals that the Dragohs are also druids who are obsessively protective of their privacy.

Although Katie has already decided she won't involve herself in any more murder cases, she is drawn into it anyway.

There's definitely no sophomore slump here; this is a fantastic sequel to Brownies and Broomsticks.  It helps to have read that book first, but it's not necessary.   The volume also contains a few recipes from Katie's Honeybee Bakery.




FTC full disclosure:  Many thanks to the publisher for a review copy of the book.  

A Night in a Haunted House

Murder on the House (Haunted Home Renovation #3)  by Juliet Blackwell (Obsidian mass market, 4 December 2012).

Mel Turner is becoming accustomed to her ability to see ghosts.  Well, a bit less freaked out by it, anyway.

When a couple offer her the chance to renovate their historic house, she leaps at it.  She's even intrigued by the idea that they want to promote it as a "haunted bed and breakfast" inn.  Then she learns that her company is not the only one up for the job, and to win the competition she'll have to spend an entire night in it.

Initially, Mel doesn't see this as a problem, since she met the in-house ghost 11-year-old Annabelle on her first visit to the house.  What's not immediately clear to her is that Annabelle is not the only ghost in the house.

Juliet Blackwell has made Mel a realistic combination of assured (business) and insecure (relationships).  She loves restoring historic houses, and knows she's good at it.  But since her divorce, she's had difficulty allowing her romantic side to show, though that may (slowly) be changing, along with acceptance of her ability to communicate with spirits.

Though this is a cozy series, it does have a few scary scenes in it.  But this wimpy reviewer read (and enjoyed) the book, even before bedtime, with no nightmares.

The volume includes a preview of the next book in Blackwell's other supernatural series, Tarnished and Torn, due in July 2013.



FTC full disclosure:  Many thanks to the publisher for a review copy of the book. 

Meeting Beethoven

City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte (Penguin trade paperback, 27 November 2012).


Prague has a reputation for being a mysterious and shadowy city.
It's where  the  alchemists Edward Kelley and John  Dee  worked, for a time, under the patronage of Emperor Rudolf.  Superstition has it that Prague is also home to at least one hell portal.

When musicology student Sarah Weston accepts a summer position cataloguing Beethoven's manuscripts for a private collection in Prague, she is warned by more than one person that the city  "is a threshold, and it is steeped in blood".

Knowing that the experience will be the highlight of her resume, she accepts, but before she even leaves, strange things begin to happen. Her apartment is broken into, and though nothing is taken, a strange symbol is painted on the wall.

When she arrives in Prague, she learns that her mentor Absalom Sherbatsky, who recommended her for the position before his death, had been behaving erratically before his supposed suicide.  Her colleagues at the museum are distinctly odd, and she begins to suspect that Dr. Sherbatsky did not, in fact, take his own life.

It's difficult for Sarah to tell who she can trust, who might be dangerous, and who is playing a role, because the place is rife with intrigue and politics.

Complicated, yes, but the story is fascinating.   Reminiscent of the All Souls series by Deborah Harkness, this is much lighter, more humorous, and quicker to read, and should be popular with readers of romantic-mystery-paranormal fiction


The Penguin Group has very kindly offered a copy of CITY OF DARK MAGIC to one of my readers.  Please comment on this post, and make sure you include contact information.  Entries from the US only, please.



FTC full disclosure:  Many thanks to the publisher for a review copy of the book. 

Engagement Ring

Blood Bath and Beyond (Immortality Bites #1) by Michelle Rowen (Obsidian mass market, 7 August 2012).

Sarah Dearly has only been a vampire for a few months, but she's engaged to a six-hundred-year-old vampire named Thierry de Bennicour.  She's madly in love with him, but even though he's not very open about his feelings (or anything else), she's pretty sure he feels the same way. 

After saying goodbye to her best friend (still human) who's moving from Toronto to Vancouver, she returns to the condo she shares with Thierry to find a large suitcase just inside the door.  Apparently, Thierry has received an "offer he can't refuse" from the vampire council known as The Ring.  Thierry was actually instrumental in organizing The Ring centuries earlier, but hadn't been involved with it for a long time. 

Although he refuses to tell her what hold they have over him, he does finally agree to her going along  with him on his first assignment.  Their destination is Las Vegas, where human corpses have been found for several days in a row, drained of blood and with fang marks on their necks. 

Sarah, however, is a trouble magnet.  Everything that can go wrong, does, including Thierry being falsely accused of murder and put on house (luxury suite) arrest.  He does manage to get the council to agree to let Sarah return home, but she can't just sit around and wait.  To her, the only option is to clear Theirry's name.

There are many, many paranormal novels being released lately, and this is one of the better ones.  With Sarah Dearly, Michelle Rowen has created an appealing protagonist, who, despite attracting trouble at every turn, somehow manages to keep going.  Rowen's writing is polished, and the story is lightly, wryly humorous.

At the end of the book is an excerpt from the second book in the series, Bled and Breakfast, though no publication date is provided.